| Season | 1981 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Kaizer Chiefs |
| Relegated | Lusitano,Pilkington United Bros,Stilfontein Big XI |
←1980 1982 → | |
The1981 National Professional Soccer League was the fourth season of the multi-racial South AfricanNational Professional Soccer League (NPSL). The league was a merger of the previous NPSL, which due to the country'sapartheid policies were for black teams only, and theNational Football League, for white teams only.
The other professional league, the non-racialFederation Professional League, continued to function independently.
It was won byKaizer Chiefs, who finished a point ahead of defending championsHighlands Park. Chiefs also won the Mainstay Cup, the BP Top 8 and the Sales House Champion of Champions.[1][2] The 1981 Chiefs side is regarded as one of the best in the country's history.[3]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaizer Chiefs | 34 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 64 | 22 | +42 | 54 |
| 2 | Highlands Park | 34 | 21 | 11 | 2 | 63 | 16 | +47 | 53 |
| 3 | Arcadia Shepherds | 34 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 76 | 40 | +36 | 49 |
| 4 | Hellenic | 34 | 19 | 8 | 7 | 73 | 34 | +39 | 46 |
| 5 | Wits University | 34 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 56 | 34 | +22 | 44 |
| 6 | Witbank Black Aces | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 53 | 34 | +19 | 38 |
| 7 | Orlando Pirates | 34 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 45 | 39 | +6 | 38 |
| 8 | Moroka Swallows | 34 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 59 | 51 | +8 | 38 |
| 9 | Durban City | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 60 | 60 | 0 | 33 |
| 10 | Benoni United | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 31 |
| 11 | Dynamos | 34 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 48 | 45 | +3 | 30 |
| 12 | Mamelodi United | 34 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 32 | 37 | −5 | 30 |
| 13 | African Wanderers | 34 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 34 | 53 | −19 | 27 |
| 14 | Leicester City | 34 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 39 | 55 | −16 | 25 |
| 15 | AmaZulu | 34 | 8 | 7 | 19 | 29 | 43 | −14 | 23 |
| 16 | Lusitano(R) | 34 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 39 | 82 | −43 | 20 |
| 17 | Pilkington United Bros(R) | 34 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 33 | 71 | −38 | 20 |
| 18 | Stilfontein Big XI(R) | 34 | 2 | 8 | 24 | 34 | 106 | −72 | 12 |