2020–21 National First Division
Football league season
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The 2020–21 National First Division (called the GladAfrica Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the season from November 2020 to May 2021 of South Africa's second tier of professional soccer, the National First Division.
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Sekhukhune United |
| Relegated | Bizana Pondo Chiefs |
| Matches | 240 |
| Goals | 143 (0.6 per match) |
← 2019–20 2021–22 → | |
Teams
16 teams competed in the season.[1]
Stadium and Locations
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bizana Pondo Chiefs | Mhlanga | Princess Magogo Stadium | 12,000 |
| Cape Town Spurs | Cape Town (Green Point) | Cape Town Stadium | 55,000 |
| Cape Town All Stars F.C. | Cape Town | Athlone Stadium | 34,000 |
| Cape United | Cape Town (Cape Flats) | Athlone Stadium | 35,000 |
| Free State Stars | Bethlehem | Goble Park | 20,000 |
| JDR Stars | Pretoria (Soshanguve) | Giant Stadium | 18,000 |
| Jomo Cosmos | Potchefstroom | Olën Park | 22,000 |
| Polokwane City | Polokwane | Peter Mokaba Stadium | 45,500 |
| Pretoria Callies | Pretoria | Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium | 28,900 |
| Real Kings | Durban | Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium | 6,500 |
| Richards Bay | Richards Bay | Richards Bay Stadium | 8,000 |
| Sekhukhune United | Johannesburg (Tembisa) | Makhulong Stadium | 10,000 |
| Steenberg United | Cape Town (Cape Flats) | Athlone Stadium | 34,000 |
| TS Sporting | Kabokweni | Kabokweni Stadium | 8,000 |
| University of Pretoria | Pretoria | Tuks Stadium | 8,000 |
| Uthongathi | Durban (KwaMashu) | Princess Magogo Stadium | 12,000 |
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sekhukhune United | 30 | 14 | 11 | 5 | 41 | 20 | +21 | 53 | Promotion to 2021-22 Premiership |
| 2 | Royal AM | 30 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 34 | 25 | +9 | 51 | Qualification to Promotion Play-offs |
| 3 | Richards Bay | 30 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 41 | 27 | +14 | 49 | |
| 4 | TS Sporting | 30 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 41 | 28 | +13 | 49 | |
| 5 | Free State Stars | 30 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 37 | 32 | +5 | 45 | |
| 6 | JDR Stars | 30 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 33 | 32 | +1 | 44 | |
| 7 | Cape Umoya United | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 31 | 24 | +7 | 41 | |
| 8 | Pretoria Callies | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 24 | 26 | −2 | 41 | |
| 9 | Jomo Cosmos | 30 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 27 | −2 | 38 | |
| 10 | Cape Town All Stars F.C. | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 28 | 32 | −4 | 37 | |
| 11 | Uthongathi | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 28 | 33 | −5 | 37 | |
| 12 | TUKS | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 27 | 30 | −3 | 35 | |
| 13 | Polokwane City | 30 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 25 | 30 | −5 | 35 | |
| 14 | Cape Town Spurs | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 38 | −16 | 33 | |
| 15 | Steenberg United | 30 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 27 | 41 | −14 | 30 | Relegation to 2021-22 SAFA Second Division |
| 16 | Bizana Pondo Chiefs | 30 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 24 | 43 | −19 | 23 |
Updated to match(es) played on 23 May 2021. Source: rsssf-South Africa 2020/21
Play-offs
The playoffs were won by Chippa United, who retained their place in the 2021-22 South African Premier Division. Royal AM refused to participate, instead buying their way into the top tier by purchasing the franchise of Bloemfontein Celtic.[2]
| Pos | Lge | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PRE | Chippa United (P) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | Retain their place in the 2021-22 South African Premier Division |
| 2 | NFD | Richards Bay | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 | |
| 3 | PRE | Royal AM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zaf2021.html#prorel
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored;
(P) Promoted
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored;
(P) Promoted