# 1981 NPSL First Division

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_NPSL_First_Division
> Source revision: 1277583052
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use South African English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox football league season 
|competition=[National Professional Soccer League](/source/National_Professional_Soccer_League_(South_Africa))
| image          = 
| pixels         = 
|season          = 1981
|winners         = [Kaizer Chiefs](/source/Kaizer_Chiefs_F.C.)
|relegated       = [Lusitano](/source/Lusitano_F.C._(South_Africa)), [Pilkington United Bros](/source/Pilkington_United_Bros_F.C.), [Stilfontein Big XI](/source/Stilfontein_Big_XI_F.C.)
|league topscorer= 
|biggest home win= 
|biggest away win= 
|highest scoring = 
|matches         = 
|total goals     = 
|longest wins    = 
|longest unbeaten= 
|longest winless = 
|longest losses  = 
|highest attendance= 
|lowest attendance= 
|average attendance= 
|prevseason       = [1980](/source/1980_NPSL_First_Division)
|nextseason       = [1982](/source/1982_NPSL_First_Division)
|updated          = 
}}

The '''1981 National Professional Soccer League''' was the fourth season of the multi-racial South African [National Professional Soccer League](/source/National_Professional_Soccer_League_(South_Africa)) (NPSL). The league was a merger of the previous NPSL, which due to the country's [apartheid](/source/apartheid) policies were for black teams only, and the [National Football League](/source/National_Football_League_(South_Africa)), for white teams only.

The other professional league, the non-racial [Federation Professional League](/source/Federation_Professional_League), continued to function independently. 

It was won by [Kaizer Chiefs](/source/Kaizer_Chiefs_F.C.), who finished a point ahead of defending champions [Highlands Park](/source/Highlands_Park_F.C._(1959)). Chiefs also won the Mainstay Cup, the BP Top 8 and the Sales House Champion of Champions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Africa 1981 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zaf81.html |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=www.rsssf.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.kaizerchiefs.com/club/history/ |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=www.kaizerchiefs.com |language=en}}</ref> The 1981 Chiefs side is regarded as one of the best in the country's history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=KickOff |title=The best teams ever in South Africa |url=https://www.snl24.com/kickoff/sanews/premiership/kaizer-chiefs/the-best-teams-ever-in-south-africa-20130916 |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Kickoff |language=en-US}}</ref>

{{#invoke:Sports table|main|style=WDL

|winpoints=2

|team1=KAI|name_KAI=[Kaizer Chiefs](/source/Kaizer_Chiefs_F.C.)
|win_KAI=23 |draw_KAI=8 |loss_KAI=3 |gf_KAI=64 |ga_KAI=22
|team2=HIG|name_HIG=[Highlands Park](/source/Highlands_Park_F.C._(1959))
|win_HIG=21 |draw_HIG=11 |loss_HIG=2 |gf_HIG=63 |ga_HIG=16
|team3=ARC|name_ARC=[Arcadia Shepherds](/source/Arcadia_Shepherds_F.C.)
|win_ARC=20 |draw_ARC=9 |loss_ARC=5 |gf_ARC=76 |ga_ARC=40
|team4=HEL|name_HEL=[Hellenic](/source/Hellenic_F.C.)
|win_HEL=19 |draw_HEL=8 |loss_HEL=7 |gf_HEL=73 |ga_HEL=34
|team5=WTS|name_WTS=[Wits University](/source/Wits_University_F.C.)
|win_WTS=16 |draw_WTS=12 |loss_WTS=6 |gf_WTS=56 |ga_WTS=34
|team6=WIT|name_WIT=[Witbank Black Aces](/source/Mpumalanga_Black_Aces_F.C.)
|win_WIT=14 |draw_WIT=10 |loss_WIT=10 |gf_WIT=53 |ga_WIT=34
|team7=PIR|name_PIR=[Orlando Pirates](/source/Orlando_Pirates_F.C.)
|win_PIR=13 |draw_PIR=12 |loss_PIR=9 |gf_PIR=45 |ga_PIR=39
|team8=SWA|name_SWA=[Moroka Swallows](/source/Moroka_Swallows_F.C.)
|win_SWA=13 |draw_SWA=12 |loss_SWA=9 |gf_SWA=59 |ga_SWA=51
|team9=DUR|name_DUR=[Durban City](/source/Durban_City_F.C.)
|win_DUR=12 |draw_DUR=9 |loss_DUR=13 |gf_DUR=60 |ga_DUR=60
|team10=BEN|name_BEN=[Benoni United](/source/Benoni_United_F.C.)
|win_BEN=11 |draw_BEN=9 |loss_BEN=14 |gf_BEN=48 |ga_BEN=48
|team11=DYN|name_DYN=[Dynamos](/source/Dynamos_F.C._(South_Africa))
|win_DYN=9 |draw_DYN=12 |loss_DYN=13 |gf_DYN=48 |ga_DYN=45
|team12=MAM|name_MAM=[Mamelodi United](/source/Mamelodi_United_F.C.)
|win_MAM=10 |draw_MAM=10 |loss_MAM=14 |gf_MAM=32 |ga_MAM=37
|team13=AFR|name_AFR=[African Wanderers](/source/African_Wanderers_F.C.)
|win_AFR=8 |draw_AFR=11 |loss_AFR=15 |gf_AFR=34 |ga_AFR=53
|team14=LEI|name_LEI=[Leicester City](/source/Leicester_City_F.C._(South_Africa))
|win_LEI=7 |draw_LEI=11 |loss_LEI=16 |gf_LEI=39 |ga_LEI=55
|team15=AMA|name_AMA=[AmaZulu](/source/AmaZulu_F.C.)
|win_AMA=8 |draw_AMA=7 |loss_AMA=19 |gf_AMA=29 |ga_AMA=43
|team16=LUS|name_LUS=[Lusitano](/source/Lusitano_F.C._(South_Africa))
|win_LUS=5 |draw_LUS=10 |loss_LUS=19 |gf_LUS=39 |ga_LUS=82
|team17=PIL|name_PIL=[Pilkington United Bros](/source/Pilkington_United_Bros_F.C.)
|win_PIL=5 |draw_PIL=10 |loss_PIL=19 |gf_PIL=33 |ga_PIL=71
|team18=STI|name_STI=[Stilfontein Big XI](/source/Stilfontein_Big_XI_F.C.)
|win_STI=2 |draw_STI=8 |loss_STI=24 |gf_STI=34 |ga_STI=106

|status_LUS=R
|status_PIL=R
|status_STI=R

|update=complete
|source=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zaf81.html
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{South African soccer seasons}}

1981
Category:1981 in South African sport
Category:1980–81 in African association football leagues

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [1981 NPSL First Division](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_NPSL_First_Division) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_NPSL_First_Division?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.