10 Stats From Sundowns’ Title Winning Season by OptaJabu

This was the moment Sundowns created and joined an exclusive club – the first South African side to win four successive PSL titles and the first to 11 PSL championships. Even if the Invincible season did not materialise, this team has done enough to win the title with three games to play, and hopefully, they’ll live long in the memory. But will they?

In an unusual season where the normal challengers have endured campaigns ranging from inconsistent (Supersport, Pirates) to dreadful (Chiefs), an unlikely representative AmaZulu were the team that came closest to dethroning Sundowns. It could be a season remembered for the absence of fans, lockdown and many other factors. But we dug through some numbers to bring you 10 records that this Sundowns side ought to be remembered by.

1. The Unbeaten Start

Sundowns were well on their way to invincibility, having equalled Kaizer Chiefs’ 19-match unbeaten run from the start of a season with a 3-1 win over TTM at the beginning of April. 19 became 20 against Chippa, and then 20 became 21 against AmaZulu, before Chiefs stopped them in their tracks, with a surprise 2-1 comeback win at the end of April.

21 – Sundowns were unbeaten in their opening 21 games, setting a new record the longest a team has gone unbeaten from the start of a PSL season. Streak.

2. The Unbeaten Run Across Competitions

They lost the first game of the season in the MTN8, but quickly regrouped to set a new club record of going unbeaten in all competitions along the way. Between October 2020 and April 2021, no team managed to beat Sundowns. For good measure, they added a club record run of 10 successive wins between January and mid-March.

28 – Downs went unbeaten in 28 games in all competitions, their longest unbeaten run as a club across all competitions in the PSL era. Incredible.

DSTV Prem: Player of the Season Candidates – Part 1

3. A Plethora of Scorers

Peter Shalulile may be the main source of goals for Sundowns (11 so far in the league), but there have been enough helpers as well. As late as the 27th game of the season, Aubrey Modiba scored his first league goal for Sundowns in his debut season at the club. His contribution also brought them closer to another record:

16 – Sundowns have had 16 different goalscorers this season, more than any other side. Excluding own-goals, their most in a 30-game season is 17. Variety.

4. Onyango Clean Sheets

Teboho Mokoena’s late goal denied Dennis Onyango a 16th clean sheet of the season. The Ugandan national has already secured the Golden Glove (he has five more clean sheets than his nearest challengers with three games to play). He has also equalled the Sundowns record for clean sheets in a PSL season (15 by Calvin Marlin 2006/7).

17 – Onyango needs one clean sheet in Sundowns’ last three games to break the Sundowns record, and two clean sheets to equal the PSL record (17). Germaphobe.

DSTV Prem: Player of the Season Candidates – Part 2

5. Decorated Players

On top of the Golden Glove, Dennis Onyango will be collecting his 14th medal since he started playing football in the country. Alongside Hlompo Kekana, the two stalwarts have been mainstays in their careers and have won numerous awards at Supersport and Sundowns.

15 – Only Daine Klate (15) has won more trophies than Onyango and Kekana (14) in the PSL era. Decorated.

6. The Fewest Losses

Sundowns also have the honour of losing just once this season. We know that no side in PSL history has gone unbeaten in a whole top-flight season, but it’s also true that no side has lost just once in a full season. Oddly, this is a record they may have to share with Swallows unless they beat them this coming Saturday.

2 – Chiefs lost 2 games in the 2004/5 season, the lowest total for a side in a PSL top-flight season. Stingy.

Ten Records Set By Benni McCarthy’s AmaZulu

7. Strong Defence

Not only are Sundowns top scorers in the league, but they also boast the defence that has kept the most clean sheets. Only one team in PSL history has conceded less than 14 goals in a full season (Chiefs conceded 11 in 2004/5). The current Sundowns team could break another club record if they don’t concede 3+ goals in their last three games – 17 is the fewest a Sundowns side has conceded in a full PSL season (2006/7).

16 – Sundowns are guaranteed to keep the most clean sheets this season (on 16 now). They need one more to equal the club record for a PSL season – 17 in 2006/07, 2015/16 & 2016/17. Miserly.

8. Themba Zwane

Despite missing a penalty yesterday (Sundowns’ third of the season), Themba Zwane’s first-half goal was enough to get him a 10th league goal of the season. He joins Peter Shalulile in double-figures for league goals this season. It’s the first time Sundowns have had more than one player score 10+ in the same season since Khama Billiat and Leonardo Castro in 2015/16. He’s on 45 for Downs in the league now, three behind Katlego Mphela (48), who was three behind Surprise Moriri (51), who was a whopping 33 behind Daniel Mudau (84).

2 – Zwane is the first player to score 10+ league goals in consecutive seasons for Sundowns since Katlego Mphela did it thrice between 2009/10 and 2011/12. He is the first to score 10+ in successive seasons and also win successive league titles since Moriri in 2005/6 & 2006/7. Mshishi.

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9. Away Record

Whether you subscribe to the view that champions are determined by their away form or not, you can’t run away from the fact that Sundowns’ away form has set them up well for success. In fact, they can still set a few more PSL records in the last two away games. Win both games and they’ll equal the record for most away wins in a 30-game season (11).

0 – No team has ever completed a full PSL season without an away defeat. Target.

10. Earliest Title Winners

Winning a title at the end of May could seem late, especially when you consider other major leagues have ended. But don’t let the Covid-delayed calendar mislead you – Sundowns have been flying. 

27 – Sundowns became the earliest title winners since Chiefs in 2014/15, who also lifted the title in their 27th game. Partytime.