The Longest Unbeaten Runs In PSL History

Sometimes, trophies shape a team’s legacy and sometimes, performances do. With performances, there is always a danger that someone will outperform you in the next game. With trophies, a different team can hold the same trophy just 12 months later. However, with records, there is a chance that a team can hold on for a longer time. All three can mark iconic moments, but records can be truly unique. Think Sundowns’ 71 points tally, Collins Mbesuma’s 25-goal season, and Kaizer Chief’s 31-game unbeaten run almost 20 years ago. The latter, however, is under considerable threat as Sundowns continue where they left off last season – winning game after game. But, which teams are in the Top 5 for the longest unbeaten league runs in history?

1. Kaizer Chiefs: 31 Matches

15 January 2005 – 16 November 2005

The longest unbeaten league run in PSL history is held by Kaizer Chiefs in 2005, with Amakhosi going 31 matches without a league defeat. 19 of these games came in the title-winning campaign of 2004/5, with the remainder coming the following season. Ted Dumitru oversaw the January to May run before Ernst Middendorp maintained the status quo until November. When Dennis Lota came on as a Moroka Swallows substitute to score an 89th-minute winner against Chiefs on 8 January, Chiefs fans were heartbroken. Little did they know that this would be the start of something special.

Chiefs beat Bloemfontein Cetic the following week, with Arthur Zwane featuring in that side. The win put in motion a run of 11 wins & 8 draws, enough to land Chiefs back-to-back titles. The run was driven by a solid defence more than a brilliant attack, with 17 clean sheets in 31 games until October. The run eventually came to an end against Owen da Gama’s Platinum Stars. Despite opening the scoring, Chiefs went on to lose 4-2 with a young Katlego Mashego netting a second half-brace, while Junior Khanye came on as a substitute.

=2. Mamelodi Sundowns: 28 Matches

7 September 2022 – date

Present-day Sundowns are currently unbeaten in 28 league matches, also under two different coaching regimes. The last time they lost a league game was in a 2-1 defeat to Gavin Hunt’s SuperSport in September last year. Ironically, the first game after that defeat was away to Chippa, the same as the 28th in this run this past weekend. Yet, it was not so straightforward back then, as Sundowns needed a 91st-minute goal from Peter Shalulile to get the three points. Indeed, an own goal and another 91st-minute winner helped them string three wins together at the time. A week later, Sundowns announced “the restructuring of its Technical Team and the changes in the responsibilities and employment positions of its coaches”. Few would have imagined that was the start of a record-nearing run.

Across Sundowns’ 28-game run, they have wrapped up another PSL title, along with a few records, including the coveted record of consecutive league wins (15). Impressively, they have dropped just 12 points from a possible 84 in this period, averaging 2.6 points per game. In 28 unbeaten games, they have 11 more points than Chiefs’ record holders (72 – 61), but Chiefs fans will not care about that.

=2. Mamelodi Sundowns: 28 Matches

20 January 2018 – 29 January 2019

Having raised expectations, it’s important to note that Sundowns have been here before. Under Pitso, they embarked on a similar unbeaten run that fell short of the record by 3 matches. Sundowns were league leaders when they hosted Michos’ Pirates in January 2018, but found themselves 2-0 down after 18 minutes, in a match that eventually ended 3-1 for the visitors. Following that loss, Sundowns went on a 13-game unbeaten run that ensured a hotly contested title race until the end of the season. Both teams won 29 points in the final 13 games, but it was Sundowns who held on as Pirates ultimately faltered.

Downs continued their unbeaten run where they left off the following season, adding another 15 games without a loss. It wasn’t peak Sundowns, as this run had 7 draws. By the time they hosted Cavin Johnson’s AmaZulu, they were third on the table (albeit with some games in hand). An own goal & an Ovidy Karuru goal brought that run to an end, setting off a strange 10-game run that saw Sundowns only win three games. A late surge meant they just salvaged the title. But the record chase would have to wait for another few years.

4. Mamelodi Sundowns: 25 Matches

28 April 2021 – 20 December 2021

Post-Covid Sundowns have actually given this record a go. Not once. Not twice. But three times. Before the current run, there was a 23-game run between September 2020 and April 2021 and a 25-game run between April 2021 and December 2021. The 23-game run was part of a shot at Invincibility, that came short when Chiefs beat Sundowns 2-1 under Gavin Hunt. But Downs quickly regrouped and went on a 25-game run that is the 4th longest in PSL history; also ended by AmaZulu. It means Downs lost just 1 of 49 league games in the fixture-congestion period between September 2020 and December 2021.

5. Kaizer Chiefs: 24 matches

16 April 2014 – 17 February 2015

Stuart Baxter’s Kaizer Chiefs are the holders of many records, and it would be a surprise if they didn’t feature here. Two back-to-back 1-0 losses to Sundowns and Black Aces in April effectively cost them a 2nd title in two seasons. But after losing out on the title, they went on a 24-game run that brought them the 2014/15 crown. Part of this included a 8-game winning run to start the 2014/15 season, the best-ever start by a side in PSL history.