Soccer teams in Johannesburg are some of the best-performing clubs, not only on the national but also on the continental level.
In addition, Johannesburg clubs have some of the best stadium facilities in South Africa, only rivalled at European levels. The city also has many football academies to nurture young talent.
Johannesburg football clubs have won over 20 national South Africa Premier Division titles.
Here is a list of elite Johannesburg soccer teams competing in the first-tier and lower leagues.
1. Kaizer Chiefs F.C
Kaizer Chiefs is among the most successful South African top-flight teams, with over 13 national titles.
However, on the continental stage, the Chiefs have not been as successful, finishing as runners-up in the 2021 CAF Champions League and losing to Al Ahly.
Despite the continental disappointment, they are still touted in conversation as the Big Three clubs in South African football. Also known as Amakhosi, the club is arch-rival of Orlando Pirates.
Kaizer Chiefs was founded in 1970, with its main offices at 6 L Lena Rd., Naturena, Johannesburg 2095, and hosts its home games at the FNB Stadium.
The club legends include Daveyton Jabu and Itumeleng Khune, among others.
2. Orlando Pirates F.C
Orlando Pirates, renowned as the Buccaneers or Amapirate by its local supporters, play in the top flight of the South African DStv Premiership.
The team was formed in 1937 and plays its home matches at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
Orlando Pirates hold the fete of being the first club in the South Africa Premier Division to win back-to-back domestic trebles in two consecutive seasons.
The major honours include the ABSA Premiership, the F.A. Nedbank Cup, the MTN Top 8 Cup, and the Telkom Knockout League Cup.
Orlando Pirates is the only South African team to lift the CAF Champions League alongside Mamelodi Sundowns.
Some of the club’s legendary players include Benson Mhlongo, Bernard Lushozi, and Brandon Silent.
3. Bidvest Wits F.C
Bidvest Wits, or The Clever Boys or Students, play in the first tier of South African league football. The team is among the youth soccer clubs in Johannesburg due to its heavy affiliation with the University of Witwatersrand.
The club traces its origins to its formation in 1921 by the school’s Student Representatives Council and plays at the 15000 Wits Football Stadium.
Its main office headquarters are at 41 Stanley Avenue Braamfontein, Johannesburg 2001, Gauteng. Some of the club’s legends include Gary Bailey and Richard Gough.
The Johannesburg team was promoted to the top-flight league in 1975 and won major titles such as the Mainstay Cup, Premier Soccer League, 3 Telkom Knockouts, and 2 Nedbank Cups.
4. SuperSport United F.C
SuperSport United F.C. is among the top-flight premier league soccer teams in Johannesburg.
The club was originally known as Pretoria City before rebranding. The name change was necessitated by the need to increase competitiveness and qualify for the continental CAF Champions League.
SuperSport United F.C has since soared to greater heights after the name change, winning three consecutive League titles since the 2007–2008 campaign.
The team has also won other major honours, including three Premier Soccer League titles, five Nedbank Cups, and three MTN titles.
Its home matches are played in the Lucas Moripe Stadium, and some of its legendary players include Daine Klate, Kermit Erasmus, and legendary goalkeeper George Chigova, who recently passed away.
4. Highlands Park F.C
Highlands Park FC is headquartered at 3 Gemmel St., Linksfield, Johannesburg, 2192. The club was formed in 2003, although the original Highlands Park FC was founded in 1959.
The club currently plays in the second tier of the South African Premier Division after selling its PSL status to franchise T.S. Galaxy F.C in 2020.
However, the team is still based in Gauteng, Johannesburg, and its home ground is the 20,000-capacity Makhulong Stadium.
5. Moroka Swallows F.C
Moroka Swallows Football Club, nicknamed the Birds or Swallows, plays in the top-tier Premier Soccer League.
The club was founded in 1947 and is among the original Soweto clubs, alongside the Orlando Pirates.
The Swallows host their home matches in the Dobsonville Stadium, which had played in every South Africa Premier Division season until its regulation in the 2014–2015 season.
The club has won domestic titles such as the Nedbank Cup, the Mainstay Cup, the ABSA Cup, and the MTN 8. Club legends include Tebogo Langerman and Jacob Lekgetho, among others.
6. Rangers F.C
Rangers F.C. was founded in 1889 and was initially renowned as Graneker Rangers F.C. before changing names.
The club is among the soccer teams looking for players in Johannesburg, and they play their home matches in the 25,000 Rand Stadium.
Rangers F.C won the Castle Cup in 1959. Some club legends include Ronnie Koekemoor and Percy Owen, among others.
7. Jomo Cosmos F.C
Jomo Cosmos is another Johannesburg club that plays in the third tier of South African football. The club was founded in 1938 and plays in the ABC Motsepe League following its relegation in the 2021–22 season.
Cosmos F.C.’s major honours include the 1 Nedbank Cup, 1 NSL, and 3 Telkom Knockouts titles, and club legends include Andrew Rabutla and Philemon Masinga.
8. Lusitano F.C
Lusitano F.C. is a Johannesburg-based club founded in 1966 and plays in the Vodacom League. Lizo Mjempu and Wiliam Mokoena are some of the club’s popular players.
Some of the club’s major honours include the Castle Cup and Gauteng Vodacom League titles, which they won in 2009.
9. Jewish Guild
The Jewish Guild was founded in 1964, during the height of the apartheid regime.
The team even featured in the whites’ only league in the 1970s but has since fallen into oblivion, participating in lawn bowling competitions around Linksfield, Johannesburg.
The club’s major honours include the NFL Second Division League title, which it lifted in 1970, and the Castle Cup.
Johannesburg is a football capital in South Africa, hosting several elite football teams. The list above contains some of the best soccer teams in Johannesburg and South Africa.
