PSL Golden Boot Trend Favours Underdogs

With Golden Arrows striker Junior Dion the favourite to win the Golden Boot award, Soccer Laduma looks at the past Top Goal-Scorers from the so-called small teams in the last decade.

Dion is currently leading with 14 goals, ahead of the final match-days this weekend. The second-placed leading Goal-Scorer is Iqraam Rayners with 12 goals and can't score anymore, as Mamelodi Sundowns have completed their schedule.

Check Out: Can Rele Snatch The Golden Boot From Dion?

The next rival for the Ivorian is Orlando Pirates forward Relebohile Mofokeng with 10 goals, and he would need to score at least five goals in the last match against Orbit College FC to run away with the award.

Surprisingly, Betway Premiership Top Goal-Scorers coming from 'small teams' have become common, as six times out of the last 10 seasons, the leading marksmen have not come from the traditional Big Three.

The last striker to win the Golden Boot award from an unfancied team was Khanyisa Mayo in the 2022/23 season with 12 goals for Cape Town City, although he won the award jointly with Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile.

Bradley Grobler had also claimed the Top Goal-Scorer award for the first time in the 2020/21 campaign with 16 goals while at now defunct SuperSport United.

Two seasons prior, Mwape Musonda was the leading marksman in the league with 16 goals for lowly Black Leopards, who survived relegation by three points.

In the 2017/18 term, Rodney Ramagalela had the honour of clinching the award after scoring 11 goals for Polokwane City, although he was on the stage with Percy Tau, who scored the same number of goals for The Brazilians.

Check Out: Mngqithi Backs Dion Amid Scoring Race

A season before that, Lebogang Manyama also ran away with the award after scoring 13 goals for the Citizens (who had bought the status of Mpumalanga Black Aces), following in the footsteps of Collins Mbesuma, who had netted 14 goals for Black Aces in the 2015/16 campaign.