Nick Said, Special to ESPN 6y

Who are South Africa's most successful sides?

Mamelodi Sundowns claimed an 11th league title this season as they coasted to the Absa Premiership trophy to leave themselves one behind Kaizer Chiefs on the all-time winners list.

But who are the most successful clubs in South African football down the years?

KweséESPN looks at those teams with full trophy cabinets and where they sit on the all-time list since the formation of the National Professional Soccer League in 1971.

KAIZER CHIEFS

League: 12
Domestic cups: 55
Continental cups: 1
Total: 68

Although their league title record is under serious threat, Chiefs remain far and away the most successful club in South African football history, a reason perhaps why their fans have taken their recent barren run so badly.

Chiefs will complete three seasons without a trophy for the first time in the club's history, and stuck still on 68 major competition wins.

That includes a record number of league titles (12), and the most wins in the MTN8 (15), Telkom Knockout (13) and Nedbank Cup (13). 

They have, however, won just four league titles in the last 26 years, which suggests their once complete dominance is a thing of the past. 

ORLANDO PIRATES

League: 9
Domestic cups: 23
Continental cups: 1
Total: 33

Pirates were a dominant force in the 1970s and early 1980s - 16 of their 33 trophies were secured in that period - but since then have had only pockets of success.

They did win six trophies in two seasons between 2011 and 2013 to give a boost to their trophy haul, but the last five years have yielded just one Nedbank Cup (2014) title despite numerous finals in various competitions.

Like Chiefs, league success has been sporadic of late, with four wins in the last 24 years.

Their crowning glory was success in the 1995 CAF Champions Cup [now Champions League], while they were also finalists in that competition in 2013.  

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

League: 11
Domestic cups: 11
Continental cups: 1
Total: 23

Sundowns only really emerged as a power in the local game in the late 1980s, but since then have picked up trophies at regular intervals and have been arguably the most successful side of the last 30 years.

All 11 of their league titles have come in that period, as well as four wins in the Nedbank Cup and three each in the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout.

In the last three years they have won the domestic league twice, the Champions League, Nedbank Cup and Telkom Knockout.

If you take the last three decades into account, they are South Africa's trophy giants, ahead of better supported sides Chiefs and Pirates.  

SUPERSPORT UNITED

League: 3
Domestic cups: 9
Continental cups: 0
Total: 12

Three domestic league titles in succession between 2008 and 2010 put SuperSport United on the map, but they had been reaching cup finals, and occasionally winning, well before that. 

They have also had good recent success despite their struggles in the league this campaign, winning the Nedbank Cup in 2012, 2016 and 2017, the Telkom Knockout in 2014 and the MTN8 in 2017.

No team can rival them for cup success over the same period, but they have not been as close to league championships as they would have liked. 

BIDVEST WITS

League: 1
Domestic cups: 8
Continental cups: 0
Total: 9

Wits claimed a first league success in their 96-year history in 2016/17 season with a deserved victory, even if they found that difficult to replicate in this campaign.

They have since added the Telkom Knockout trophy, a third win in that competition to go with a 2016 success in the MTN8, and before this season had four top three finishes in the league in as many seasons for what has comfortably been the golden age of the club.

They did win both of the league cup and top eight in 1995 as well.

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