2001 – SuperSport came from behind to win over TS Galaxy after conceding the first goal in the 63rd minute. It’s the latest they have conceded the opening goal & gone on to win a league game since September 2001 v Black Leopards – a match Kaitano Tembo played in.

25 – Downs have won 25 points in their opening nine league games. This equals the best ever start by a top-flight side in PSL history (Chiefs 96/97, Downs 99/00, Chiefs 14/15, Downs this season).

16 – Marumo Gallants were the 16th different team Sundowns have won against this year, the most different teams they have won against in a single calendar since 1999 (19 teams).

10 – Seven points in the opening 10 league games at Chippa is Gavin Hunt’s worst ever start to a top-flight season.

20 – Marumo Gallant were the 20th different top-flight side Shalulile has scored against in his PSL career. He has scored against every single club he has played at least 90 minutes against in his top-flight career except for Platinum Stars & TTM (though he’s scored against Gallants).

*The only other team he has not scored against are Ajax Cape Town, but he only played 59 minutes against them. 

27 – Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 21 away league matches (W14 D7), equalling the longest away unbeaten in PSL top-flight history, set by Kaizer Chiefs between January and December 2005.

21 – Altogether, Downs are unbeaten in their last 21 away league matches (W14 D7 since August 2020), the longest such run for the club in their PSL history. Three of the away games were in the PSL bio-bubble, their record would be 20 if bio-bubble matches are removed.

10 – Sundowns have now kept a 10th consecutive clean sheet in the league, equalling the all-time PSL record set by Wits in 2003.

7 – This is also the first time in Downs’ history they have opened a PSL season with 7 consecutive clean sheets in the league, bringing them level second with 2009 Orlando Pirates for consecutive clean sheets from the start of a season. Wits hold the record on 10

19 – 19 points from their opening seven games is Sundowns’ joint-best start at this stage of a PSL campaign (19 also in 1999). Only 2014 Chiefs (21 from 7) have previously won more points at this stage in PSL history.

Chiefs got back to winning ways with a 4-0 thumping of Chippa. Keagan Dolly & Khama Billiat stole the limelight, but all in all it was a solid performance (in attack and defence) for the team. Here are 5 stats from the Saturday that was..

92 – With his goal against Chippa, Khama Billiat has gone past Wilfred Mugeyi as the top-scoring Zimbabwean player in the PSL era (92 goals, all comps). He is now 6th highest overall in PSL history

100 – Khama Billiat’s goal was also the 100th scored in the league this season. Coming in the 50th league games, it’s the slowest since 2016/17 (also 50 games).

15 – Supersport have 15 points from their opening seven games, their joint-best total at this stage in their PSL history (also last season & 2011/12)

5 – This was the first time Kaitano Tembo used all 5 subs in a league game this season, and only the second time since the start of last season.

4-0 – The 4-0 loss to Chiefs is Chippa’s joint-biggest losing margin in their PSL top-flight history (5-1 v Maritzburg in April this year).

The international break is upon us, but we thought to leave you with 5 stats from the recent PSL weekend for you to chew on during the upcoming interlull. The five stats from the weekend are heavy on players, led by the irrepressible Peter Shalulile.

5 – Peter Shalulile has scored in five successive games for Sundowns (all comps), his joint-best run of scoring form in his top-flight career (5 in a row also between Feb and March this year).

4 – Vincent Pule has provided four assists in six league matches this season, having provided none throughout the whole of the 2020/21 season.

4 – Victor Letsoalo has scored in four successive league matches for the first time in his top-flight career. His coach John Maduka has never won two games in a row before this season. He’s won 4 in a row with Royal AM.

40 – Knox Mutizwa’s goal against Marumo Gallants was his 40th league goal for Golden Arrows, eclipsing Mabhuti Khanyeza (39) as the club’s all-time leading scorer in the PSL top-flight (excluding NFD).

7 – Swallows have failed to score in seven consecutive matches in all competitions in this season. They failed to score in just five matches throughout all of last season.

BONUS

1 – Maritzburg have won just one of their last eight KZN derbies with Ernst Middendorp in charge (W1 D4 L3, across two spells).

4 – Cape Town City’s 4-0 win over Swallows FC is Eric Tinkler’s biggest winning margin in a Cup game in his coaching career.

4 – City’s 4-0 win over Swallows FC is the biggest winning margin by any PSL club at the semi-final stage of the Top 8 (incl. #MTN8, BPTop8 & SAA Supa8).

2020 – This was Swallows FC’s biggest defeat in any competition since they were promoted in 2020, eclipsing their 3-0 defeat to Supersport last week.

1 – Bradley Ralani is the first player to score more than one goal for CT City in the MTN8 (both in a match, and overall).

23 – There have been 23 goals scored in the MTN8 so far this season, the most at this stage of the tournament since 2013/14 (25 goals by the semi-final stage).

10 – This was the 10th Cup meeting between Golden Arrows and Sundowns in the PSL era, and Downs’ 8th win (D1 L1). Comprehensive.

2016 – Sundowns have reached the #MTN8 final for the first time since 2016, and just the third time since the tournament was sponsored by MTN (2008+). Jubilation.

3 – The 3-goal margin is Sundowns’ joint biggest goal margin in a Top8 fixture in the PSL era (equalling 4-1 victories over Santos (2006), Celtic (2007) and Chiefs (2012). Overwhelming.

3 – The 3-goal margin in Golden Arrows’ heaviest margin of defeat in a Top 8 match in the PSL era. Overwhelmed.

6 – Sundowns have reached the Top8 final six times in the PSL era. Only Supersport, Chiefs & Pirates (7 each) have reached the final on more occasions. Arrived.

Sundowns continued their relentless start to reclaiming the league title when they dispatched Orlando Pirates 2-0 at Orlando Stadium. Goals from Peter Shalulile were enough to get them over the line and back to the top of the PSL table. Below are 5 stats from that result…

14 – This was Sundowns’ 14th win away at Orlando Pirates in the league. No other side has won more than six times away to the Buccaneers. Other teams to win at Pirates are:

• 6 – Wits, Supersport, Kaizer Chiefs
• 4 – Moroka Swallows, Jomo Cosmos

5 – This is the first time in their PSL history that Sundowns have opened a league season with five successive clean sheets. They are only the 3r PSL side to keep 5+ clean sheets at the start of a top-flight season

• 10 – Wits 2003/4 (under Roger de Sa)
• 9 – Pirates 2009/10 (under Ruud Krol)
• 5 – Sundowns 2021/22 (under Mngqithi & co.)

22 – Orlando Pirates have now lost 22 league matches against Sundowns, more than they have against any other opponent in PSL history (22).

• 22 – Sundowns
• 17 Supersport
• 16 – Wits
• 14 – Chiefs

8 – Going back to the end of last season, Sundowns have now kept eight consecutive league clean sheets, a new club record for them in the PSL era. This is a Downs record, not a league record.

4 – Pirates have now lost 4 matches to Sundowns this year, by an aggregate score of 10-1. The last time they lost so many matches to Sundowns in the same year was 2007, but an aggregate score 7-3.

Three things are certain in 2021 – death, taxes and a match involving Swallows FC ending as a draw. The newly-promoted side drew their 17th game of the season this Wednesday (against Chiefs), equalling the record for most draws by a top-flight team in a PSL season.

It was a familiar scene at Soccer City on Wednesday – Swallows take the lead 1-0. The opposition equalises 1-1. Full Time 1-1. This was the fifth successive 1-1 draw for the Birds and their 14th 1-1 draw of the campaign, also a PSL record. The previous highest was 10 (Hellenic in 1998/99) a side coached in the latter part of that season by Gavin Hunt.

It’s the 11th match this season where Swallows have scored first and allowed the opposition to comeback and get something out of the games. The two dropped points against Chiefs took Swallows total to 23 dropped points after scoring first this season – a record for any club since the PSL was established in 1996/97.

They had set the record last month to 21 points, but extended it to 23 against Chiefs. With four games to play, this record can be further extended, alongside many others.

The Swallows FC class of 2021 will be a case study for many future quizzes, as they are on course for a few PSL records: 

• They are unbeaten at home all season
• They have scored in every away game
• They’ve failed to score in just 2 matches this season
• They could set a points record for a newly promoted side in a 30-game season.