{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Use South African English|date=August 2023}} {{infobox football league season | image = | caption = | competition = National First Division | season = 2011–12 | winners = Tuks FC | promoted = Chippa United | relegated = Carara Kicks<br />Atlie FC | matches = 240 | total goals = 631 | average goals = | league topscorer = David Radebe (17) | biggest home win = | biggest away win = | highest scoring = | longest wins = | longest unbeaten = | longest winless = | longest losses = | highest attendance = | lowest attendance = | average attendance = | prevseason = 2010–11 | nextseason = 2012–13 }}
The '''2011–12 National First Division''' was the season from September 2011 until May 2012 of South Africa's second tier of professional football.
For the first time since the 2003–04 National First Division season, all teams were placed in one unified league table. Previously the competition had been split into two 'streams'.
== Summary == At the conclusion of the season Tuks FC secured their promotion to the Premiership after topping the table.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.kickoff.com/news/28396/matthews-welcomes-university-of-pretoria-to-the-premiership.php |work=Kickoff.com |date=14 May 2012 |accessdate=19 July 2012 |title=Matthews welcomes Tuks to the top-flight}}</ref> Second-placed Chippa United and third-placed Thanda Royal Zulu were joined by Santos of the Premiership in a three team promotion and relegation playoff. At the conclusion of the playoffs, Chippa United, only established in 2010, secured their promotion to the Premiership, in the process relegating Santos to the National First Division.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mtnfootball.com/africa/south-africa/absa-premiership/news/2012/jun/chippa-promoted-santos-relegated.html |work=MTNFootball.com |date=30 June 2012 |accessdate=19 July 2012 |title=Chippa promoted, Santos relegated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312065054/http://mtnfootball.com/africa/south-africa/absa-premiership/news/2012/jun/chippa-promoted-santos-relegated.html |archive-date=2016-03-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This was Chippa United's second successive promotion as they had only just earned promotion to the National First Division.
Atlie FC and Carara Kicks were relegated at the end of the season. Carara Kicks were only relegated after being deducted points for fielding an ineligible player,<ref>{{Cite web |last=OFM |title=Roses could return to the NFD |url=https://www.ofm.co.za/article/soccer/149395/roses-could-return-to-the-nfd |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=OFM}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Matshe |first=Nkareng |title=PSL’s disciplinary process is flawed |url=https://www.iol.co.za/sport/soccer/psl/psls-disciplinary-process-is-flawed-1378536 |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=www.iol.co.za |language=en}}</ref> sparing Dynamos.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.zoutnet.co.za/details/25-05-2012/dynamos_relegated/13196 |work=zoutnet.co.za |date=25 May 2012 |accessdate=19 July 2012 |title=Dynamos Relegated}}</ref>
==League table== {{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL |res_col_header=PR
|team1=UNI|name_UNI=Tuks FC |team2=CHU|name_CHU=Chippa United |team3=THA|name_THA=Thanda Royal Zulu |team4=BBR|name_BBR=Blackburn Rovers |team5=AK |name_AK =FC AK |team6=AFR|name_AFR=African Warriors |team7=VAS|name_VAS=Vasco da Gama |team8=FC |name_FC =FC Cape Town |team9=UTD|name_UTD=United FC |team10=POL|name_POL=Bay United |team11=SIV|name_SIV=Sivutsa Stars FC |team12=WIT|name_WIT=Witbank Spurs |team13=MBA|name_MBA=Mpumalanga Black Aces |team14=DYN|name_DYN=Dynamos |team15=ATL|name_ATL=Atlie FC |team16=CAR|name_CAR=Carara Kicks |win_UNI=15|draw_UNI=10|loss_UNI=5|gf_UNI=45|ga_UNI=25|status_UNI=C,P |win_CHU=14|draw_CHU=9|loss_CHU=7|gf_CHU=46|ga_CHU=29|status_CHI=O,P |win_THA=13|draw_THA=11|loss_THA=6|gf_THA=34|ga_THA=28 |win_BBR=14|draw_BBR=7|loss_BBR=9|gf_BBR=44|ga_BBR=37 |win_AK =12|draw_AK =9|loss_AK =9|gf_AK =45|ga_AK =43 |win_AFR=11|draw_AFR=10|loss_AFR=9|gf_AFR=43|ga_AFR=36 |win_VAS=12|draw_VAS=7|loss_VAS=11|gf_VAS=51|ga_VAS=45 |win_FC =10|draw_FC =9|loss_FC =11|gf_FC =38|ga_FC =36 |win_UTD=10|draw_UTD=9|loss_UTD=11|gf_UTD=46|ga_UTD=45 |win_POL=8|draw_POL=11|loss_POL=11|gf_POL=32|ga_POL=40 |win_SIV=9|draw_SIV=7|loss_SIV=14|gf_SIV=39|ga_SIV=47 |win_WIT=9|draw_WIT=7|loss_WIT=14|gf_WIT=32|ga_WIT=42 |win_MBA=7|draw_MBA=12|loss_MBA=11|gf_MBA=33|ga_MBA=41 |win_DYN=9|draw_DYN=5|loss_DYN=16|gf_DYN=37|ga_DYN=49 |win_ATL=6|draw_ATL=10|loss_ATL=14|gf_ATL=24|ga_ATL=42|status_ATL=R |win_CAR=9|draw_CAR=11|loss_CAR=10|gf_CAR=42|ga_CAR=46|status_CAR=R
|adjust_points_CAR=-18|hth_CAR= Eighteen points deducted
|col_P=green1|text_P=Promotion to Premiership |result1=P |col_QP=yellow1|text_QP=Qualification to 2011–12 PSL Playoff Tournament |result2=QP|result3=QP |col_R=red1|text_R=Relegation to Vodacom League |result15=R |result16=R |update=complete|source= }}
==PSL playoff tournament== The teams that finished second and third during the ''2011-12 National First Division'' season were joined by the team that finished 15th in the Premiership season in a 3-team promotion and relegation playoff called the '''PSL Playoff Tournament'''.
=== Participants === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- !width="175"|Team !width"175"|League !width="20"|{{Tooltip|Pos|Position}} |- |align="left"| Santos||2011–12 Premiership||15th |- |align="left"| Chippa United||2011–12 National First Division||2nd |- |align="left"| Thanda Royal Zulu||2011–12 National First Division||3rd |}
=== Format === The 3 teams participated in a mini-league in which they played one another twice (home and away) with log points being awarded for winning a match (3 points) and drawing a match (1 point). At the conclusion of the mini-league phase the team that was in first place would either earn or maintain their place in the Premiership for the 2012–13 season. If the team that finished 15th in the Premiership was unable to win the mini-league, they were relegated to the National First Division for the 2012-13 season.
=== Playoff table === At the conclusion of the PSL Playoff Tournament Chippa United had topped the mini-league after defeating Santos 4-3 in the final game, earning their place in the PSL for the 2012-13 season. As they were unable to win the mini-league, ''Santos'' failed to maintain their place in the PSL and were relegated to the National First Division for the 2012-13 season. {{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL |res_col_header=PR
|team1=CHU|name_CHU=Chippa United |team2=SAN|pos_SAN=3|name_SAN=Santos |team3=THA|pos_THA=2|name_THA=Thanda Royal Zulu |win_CHU=2|draw_CHU=2|loss_CHU=0|gf_CHU=8|ga_CHU=4|status_CHU=P |win_SAN=1|draw_SAN=1|loss_SAN=2|gf_SAN=5|ga_SAN=6|status_SAN=R |win_THA=1|draw_THA=1|loss_THA=2|gf_THA=3|ga_THA=6
|col_P=green1|text_P=Promotion to 2012–13 Premiership |result1=P |col_R=red1|text_R=Relegation to 2012–13 National First Division |result2=R |update=complete|source= }}
=== Results === {{football box |date=23 May 2012 |time=14:00 |team1= Thanda Royal Zulu |score=0 – 1 |report=[https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2012/05/23/south-africa/playoffs-12/thanda-royal-zulu/santos-cape-town/1285142/ Report] |team2=Santos |goals2=Rodgers {{goal|12}} |stadium=Richards Bay Sports Stadium, Richards Bay |attendance=2,000 |referee= }} ---- {{football box |date=16 June 2012 |time=15:00 |team1= Chippa United |score=1 – 1 |report=[https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2012/06/16/south-africa/playoffs-12/chippa-united-fc/thanda-royal-zulu/1285143/ Report] |team2= Thanda Royal Zulu |goals1=Ngebo {{goal|55}} |goals2=Nwadike {{goal|47}} |stadium=Philippi Stadium, Philippi |attendance= |referee= }} ---- {{football box |date=20 June 2012 |time=19:30 |team1= Santos |score=0 – 0 |report=[https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2012/06/20/south-africa/playoffs-12/santos-cape-town/chippa-united-fc/1285144/ Report] |team2= Chippa United |goals1= |goals2= |stadium=Athlone Stadium, Cape Town |attendance= |referee= }} ---- {{football box |date=23 June 2012 |time=20:15 |team1= Santos |score=1 – 2 |report=[https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2012/06/23/south-africa/playoffs-12/santos-cape-town/thanda-royal-zulu/1285145/ Report] |team2= Thanda Royal Zulu |goals1=Morris {{goal|19}} |goals2=Mvalo {{goal|52}}<br />Sitayitayi {{goal|57}} |stadium=Athlone Stadium, Cape Town |attendance= |referee= }} ---- {{football box |date=27 June 2012 |time=14:00 |team1= Thanda Royal Zulu |score=0 – 3 |report=[https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2012/06/27/south-africa/playoffs-12/thanda-royal-zulu/chippa-united-fc/1285146/ Report] |team2= Chippa United |goals1= |goals2=Mbenyane {{goal|6}}<br />Shumana {{goal|57}}<br />Sali {{goal|88}} |stadium=Richards Bay Sports Stadium, Richards Bay |attendance= |referee= }} ---- {{Football box | date = {{Start date|2012|06|30|df=y}} | event = | round = | time = 15;00 | team1 = Chippa United | team2 = Santos | score = 4-3 | aet = | goals1 = Dlamini {{goal|10}}<br />Mbenyane {{goal|27}}<br />Twala {{goal|76}}<br />Shumana {{goal|81}} | goals2 = Rodgers {{goal|28|89}}<br />Arendse {{goal|40}} | stadium = Philippi Stadium, Philippi | attendance = 2,000 | referee = | report = [http://www.mtnfootball.com/africa/south-africa/absa-premiership/news/2012/jun/chippa-promoted-santos-relegated.html Report] | penalties1 = | penaltyscore = | penalties2 = }}
==Player eligibility dispute==
Carara Kicks fielded a player who had not been properly registered by the club and appeared in league games. As a result, Carara Kicks had 18 points removed from their total and were relegated.<ref>{{cite web|title=Carara relegated, Dynamos back in NFD|url=http://www.kickoff.com/news/29851/carara-relegated-dynamos-back-in-nfd|publisher=Kickoff.com|accessdate=14 August 2012|date=14 August 2012}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20100323132320/http://www.psl.co.za/first.asp PSL.co.za]
{{South African soccer seasons}} {{2011-12 in African Football (CAF)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:2011-12 National First Division}} Category:National First Division seasons South Category:2011–12 in South African soccer leagues