On Sundowns scoring 5+ (league)

5+ - Sundowns have scored 5+ goals in a league game for the 26th time, more than any other team in PSL history.

• How many times has each team scored 5+ goals in a league game:

  • 26 - Sundowns*

  • 16 - SuperSport United

  • 15 - Orlando Pirates

  • 13 - Kaizer Chiefs

On Thando Ngwenya’s league form

4 - Thando Ngwenya is only the 4th player in PSL history to score in each of his team’s first four league games, and the 1st to do so since Chris Katongo in 2006.

Players who scored in 4 straight games to start the season:

• 4 - Thando Ngwenya (AmaZulu, 2026/27)*

• 4 - Chris Katongo (Jomo Cosmos, 2006/07)

• 4 - Alton Meiring (Mother City, 1999/00)

• 4 - Alton Meiring (Manning Rangers, 2003/04)

On Abdeslam Ouaddou’s landmark game

72% - Abdeslam Ouaddou took charge of his 50th game as an Orlando Pirates coach last night (all comps). His 72% win rate is the best of any Pirates coach through their first half-century of games.

• Best win rate at Pirates in first 50 games:

  • 72% - Abdeslam Ouaddou*

  • 60% - Josef Zinnbauer

  • 58% - Jose Riveiro

On Arrows’ new PSL record

6 - Golden Arrows are the first team in PSL history to keep a clean sheet in each of their first six games of a season (across competitions).

• Most clean sheets to start a season:

  • 6 - Golden Arrows*

  • 5 - TS Galaxy 2022/23

  • 5 - Kaizer Chiefs 2025/26

On Tashreeq Matthews’ longevity

70 - Tashreeq Matthews has appeared in 70 consecutive games for Sundowns, the longest appearance streak for a Sundowns player in PSL history.

• Longest streak of consecutive appearances for Sundowns:

  • 70 - Tashreeq Matthews (ongoing)*

  • 55 - Mphahlele (until Nov 2015)

  • 54 - Joel Masilela (until March 2000)

  • 52 - Percy Tau (until March 2018)

On a rare occasion…🔎

2 - For just the second time in MTN8 history, both 1st legs of the semi-finals were won by the away team.

• Instances where both away teams took the 1st-leg advantage:

  • 2014/15

    • Platinum Stars 0-2 Kaizer Chiefs

    • Bidvest Wits 0-2 Orlando Pirates

  • 2025/26*

    • Sekhukhune 0-1 Orlando Pirates

    • Sundowns 0-1 Golden Arrows

On Ouaddou’s unbeaten away run…🛫

17 - Abdeslam Ouaddou is the first Orlando Pirates coach to oversee a 17-game unbeaten run in away games (W13 D4 since losing to St Eloi Lupopo in October 2025).

• Longest unbeaten away runs at Pirates

  • 17 - Ouaddou (ongoing)*

  • 16 - Ruud Krol (ended March 2011)

  • 15 - Ronald Mkandawire + Gordon Igesund (ended December 2000)

On the Pirates-Sekhukhune triple-header…3⃣

3 - Pirates and Sekhukhune face off in three consecutive games this week (MTN8, League, MTN8). This is only the second time Pirates have played the same team thrice running in the PSL era (also in August 2012), but the first time for Sekhukhune.

• Pirates v SuperSport triple header from 2012:

  • 19 August: 0-0 (MTN8 1st leg)

  • 22 August: 0-0 (League)

  • 25 August: 3-0 to SuperSport (MTN8 2nd leg)

On Golden Arrows’ clean start…🫧

5 - For the first time in their top-flight history, Golden Arrows have started a season with five consecutive clean sheets across all competitions.

• Longest run of clean sheets to start a Golden Arrows season

  • 5 - this season*

  • 3 - never before

  • 2 - 2008/09, 2009/10, 2015/16, 2024/25

On Sundowns’ hopes of overcoming a 1st-leg deficit… 🔄

0 - No team in PSL history has ever overturned a first-leg deficit to progress to the MTN8 final (16 instances).

• Sundowns’ record when trailing from the 1st leg:

  • 2011/12 - v Pirates [2-3 in 1st leg, 1-1 in the 2nd]

  • 2018/19 - v CT City [0-1 in 1st leg, 1-0 in the 2nd .. City progressed on pens]

  • 2024/25 - v Stellenbosch [0-1 in 1st leg, 0-1 in the 2nd]

On Plaatjies’ historic treble…

1 - Quwan Plaatjies is the 1st player in PSL history to score a hat-trick on his professional top-flight debut. He is the 9th youngest player to score a hat-trick in the top flight, but the youngest to do so under Gavin Hunt.

• Youngest hat-trick scorers in PSL history under Gavin Hunt:

  • 20y 4m 7d - Quwan Plaatjies (2026 at Stellies)

  • 21y 1m 19d- Bradley August (1999 at Hellenic)

  • 21y 8m 23d - Mame Niang (2005 at Swallows)

On Cassius Mailula’s efficiency…

10 - The equaliser against Kaizer Chiefs was Cassius Mailula's 10th league goal for Sundowns (1,055 minutes across two spells). Since making his debut for Sundowns in September 2022, only Brayan Leon has a better minutes-per-goal return.

• Minutes per goal since September 2022 (minimum 10 goals):

  • 89 mins per goal - Brayan Leon

  • 105 mins per goal - Cassius Mailula*

  • 119 mins per goal - Lucas Ribeiro

  • 136 mins per goal - Iqraam Rayners

  • 161 mins per goal - Samir Nurkovic

On AmaZulu’s good start…

7 - Seven points from three games is AmaZulu’s joint-best start to a PSL season

• 1998/99 under Clive Barker (finished 14th)

• 2022/23 under Brandon Truter (finished 12th)

• 2026/27 under Arthur Zwane*

On Thando Ngwenya’s better start…

3 - Thando Ngwenya is the 12th player in PSL history to score in each of his team’s opening three league games of the season, but the first ever to do so for AmaZulu.

In the last 10 seasons, this has only happened three times.

• Three times a player has scored on MD1, MD2 & MD3 in the last 10 seasons:

  • 2024/25 - Iqraam Rayners (Sundowns)

  • 2024/25 - Lucas Ribeiro (Sundowns)

  • 2026/27 - Thando Ngwenya (AmaZulu)*

On Golden Arrows’ ‘handbrake’ start…

3 - Golden Arrows are the third side in PSL history to start a season with three goalless draws.

• Teams that started a season with three 0-0 draws:

  • 2015/16 Jomo Cosmos (ended up 16th)

  • 2023/24 AmaZulu (ended 11th)

  • 2026/27 Golden Arrows*

On Chiefs’ season-opening doubles

11 - This is the 11th time that Kaizer Chiefs have won their opening two games of a PSL league campaign.

• Where do Chiefs finish after winning on MD1 & MD2?

  • 1st - 3 times (2004/05, 2012/13, 2014/15)

  • 2nd - 3 times (1996/97, 2000/01, 2019/20)

  • 3rd - once (2025/26)

  • 5th - once (2011/12)

  • 9th - 2 times (2001/02, 2024/25)

On Miguel Cardoso’s impact subs

5 - Sphelele Mkhulise scored twice after coming on as a sub for Sundowns against TS Galaxy. This is the 5th time under Miguel Cardoso that a Sundowns player has come off the bench to score a brace in a league game, more than any other coach in their history (Pitso Mosimane 4 times).

• Sundowns braces off the bench (league only):

  • Mkhulise Sphelele (August 2026 v TS Galaxy, he came on at 1-1)

  • Teboho Mokoena (March 2026 v Marumo at 1-1)

  • Iqraam Rayners (March 2026 v Sekhukhune at 1-0)

  • Arthur Sales (May 2025 v Chippa at 1-0)

  • Peter Shalulile (February 2025 v Arrows at 1-0)

On Sundowns’ unbeaten starts

19 - Sundowns are now unbeaten in 19 season-opening league games (W13 D6 since losing to AmaZulu in their 2007 season opener), extending the longest unbeaten MD1 run of any side in PSL history.

• Longest unbeaten runs on MD1:

  • 19 - Sundowns (2008-2026)

  • 9 - Wits (2002-2011)

  • 8 - Manning Rangers (1997-2004)

  • 8 - Platinum Stars (2006-2013)

On the longest unbeaten runs v an opponent

22 - Orlando Pirates are now unbeaten in 22 league games v AmaZulu (W11 D11 since August 2013), the second-longest unbeaten run by one team against another in PSL history.

• Longest unbeaten runs of one team against another in PSL history:

  • 26 - Sundowns unbeaten v Chippa (ongoing)

  • 22 - Pirates v AmaZulu (ongoing)

  • 21 - Chiefs v AmaZulu (2007-2019)

On a competitive start to the season

2 - For only the second time in PSL history, every team has won at least one point in their opening two games of the season. [Shoutout @funogod on X]

• Instances where every team had at least one point after two games:

  • 2006/07

  • 2026/27

    

On heritage 🇿🇦

3 - Bafana have finished the Group Stages with the same Win-Draw-Lose record in each of their last three World Cup appearances:

• Last three World Cup group results:

  • 2002: P3 W1 D1 L

  • 2010: P3 W1 D1 L1

  • 2026 P3 W1 D1 L1

On clean sheets 🇿🇦

2 - This is only the second time that Bafana have recorded a clean sheet at the World Cup, coming in their 12th game:

• 2002 - v Slovenia (MD2, GK: Andre Arendse)

• 2026 - v South Korea (MD3, GK: Ronwen Williams)

  • Goals conceded record (from 1st game to last): 3-1-2-2-0-3-1-3-1-2-1-0 (v S. Korea)

On a variety of goalscorers 🇿🇦

11 - The last 11 goals scored by Bafana Bafana at the World Cup have been scored by 11 different players (since MD3 in 1998).

• Last 11 goals scored (excluding Benni McCarthy & Shaun Bartlett’s first goals):

  • 1998 - Bartlett S

  • 2002 - Mokoena T, Fortune Q, Nomvete S, McCarthy B, Radebe L

  • 2010 - Tshabalala S, Khumalo B, Mphela K

  • 2026 - Mokoena T, Maseko T

On joining Africa’s elite🇿🇦

7 - Bafana are the 7th African nation to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup.

• Seven African nations that have gone beyond the group stages:

  • 1986 - Morocco 🇲🇦

  • 1990 - Cameroon🇨🇲

  • 1994 - Nigeria🇳🇬

  • 2002 - Senegal🇸🇳

  • 2006 - Ghana🇬🇭

  • 2014 - Algeria🇩🇿

  • 2026 - Bafana🇿🇦

The landscape has shifted in the 23 seasons since. Sundowns, who first moved to the top of the all-time table in January 2018, have never looked back. A record-breaking run of eight consecutive titles has put them 161 points ahead of Pirates in second, and nearly 200 ahead of Chiefs. At this rate, it will take at least another decade (of sustained winning) for any club to get close.

MIA

What stands out immediately on the all-time table is how the league (or perhaps circumstances) has not been kind to its pioneers. Of the Top 16 teams with the most points in PSL history, only five still exist in anything resembling their original form.

11. Santos 🚫

12. Free State Stars 🚫

13. Platinum Stars 🚫

14. Jomo Cosmos 🚫

15. Maritzburg United 🚫

16. Manning Rangers 🚫

One has to scroll down the table to see familiar recent names. Chippa United come in at Number 17, with 411 points: Polokwane City (21st) and Stellenbosch (23rd) follow a few places down. Then, TS Galaxy (24th) and Sekhukhune (25th) are the existing top-flight teams that round off the Top 25.

The tail

Mother City remain the lowest-ranked team in PSL history, accumulating 10 points in that ill-fated 1999/200 season. City won 2 of their 34 games (D4 K28), conceding 85 goals at a rate of 2.5 goals conceded per game. Orbit College (24 points) will need to bounce back in the top-flight as soon as possible to make a bigger mark on the local scene. Only Zulu Royala, Bay United, Witbank Aces and Mother City have accumulated fewer points than Orbit.

The bad news? We also live in the disinformation age.

As the domestic season draws to an end, we are all looking for stats and stories that put our favourite players and teams into context. Numbers help tell the story, settle debates, and make sense of the 10-month journey following our favourite clubs. Yet, that hunger can make us vulnerable to accepting numbers that fit narratives, even if the numbers are not correct. Here are four stats you may have come across, that need another look.

Stat 1: Top-scoring teams across Africa’s top 5 leagues so far this season:

1. Orlando Pirates — 78 goals (27 conceded)

2. Pyramids FC — 73 goals (50 conceded)

3. Mamelodi Sundowns — 71 goals (36 conceded)

The fact:

• Pirates scored 84 goals this season (58 in the league, 26 in Cups)

• Sundowns scored 88 goals this season (57 in the league, 31 in Cups)

Stat 2: Orlando Pirates is the first club in South African PSL History to not collect a RED CARD in an entire season!

The fact:

• Just this season, Chippa Utd & Richards Bay did not receive a red card.

• Chiefs have completed a league season without a red card on at least five occasions (last doing so in 2018/19).

• Real Rovers, Hellenic, Moroka Swallows, AmaZulu & more completed seasons with no red card.

Stat 3: Orlando Pirates have netted 96 times in just 44 games, while Mamelodi Sundowns aren’t far behind with 95 goals in 50 matches. Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs have only managed 53 goals in 42 games.

The fact:

• Pirates scored 84 goals in 44 games

• Sundowns scored 88 goals in 50 games

• Chiefs scored 45 goals in 42 games

Stat 4: Orlando Pirates are the FIRST club in PSL history to complete an entire season without conceding a penalty or receiving a red card.

This one is hard - maybe even impossible - to prove or disprove. Full data on penalties taken & scored is available. Full data on penalties taken & missed/saved? Not so much.

For example, in 2003/04, no Kaizer Chiefs player received a red card all season, and no team scored a penalty against them. However, we (and other PSL data sources) don’t have a record of penalties awarded against Chiefs that were missed/saved. The same data gap applies to earlier PSL seasons.

Sidenote: there is also a danger here. Because the English team Arsenal did something similar in the Premier League (proven by OPTA JOE), and given all the parallels people have been drawing between that Arsenal side and this Pirates team, the stat may have been too tempting not to borrow for some. That said, the original posters may have full data, which others don’t.

“Choose the sources of your information wisely..” ✋

On a long wait..

116 - Between their last Champions League title and this one, Sundowns played 116 games in the competition without lifting the trophy.

• Sundowns CAFCL results since 2015/16 title:

  • Played: 116

  • Won: 59

  • Drew 37

  • Lost: 20

On Downs’ pedigree

2 - Sundowns have won their second African Cup/Champions League title, more than any other South African side.

• African Cup/Champions League titles by club (SA)

  • 2 - Sundowns*

  • 1 - Orlando Pirates

  • 0 - Ten other PSL teams

On Cardoso winning crunch games

5 - Sundowns have won five games in the knockout stages of this competition under Miguel Cardoso (quarter-final stages and later), more than they have managed under any other coach (4 this season, 1 last season).

• Most knockout games won by a Sundowns coach (QF onwards)

  • 5 - Cardoso, M*

  • 4 - Mosimane, P

  • 2 - Mokwena, R

  • 1 - Dumitru, T

On defensive resilience in clutch moments

5 - Indeed, all five of Cardoso’s wins in the knockout stages of this competition have been achieved with a clean sheet. That’s as many clean sheet wins at this stage as they managed before him throughout their CAF history.

• Clean sheet wins for Sundowns in the knockouts (QF and later):

  • 2001 - 2025: 5

  • 2025 to 2026: 5*

On the work ahead

3 - This was the third African Cup/CAFCL title for a Southern African team, the second fewest of all regions on the continent.

• Most African Cup/CAFCL titles by region:

  • 37 - North Africa

  • 12 - Central Africa

  • 10 - West Africa

  • 3 - Southern Africa*

  • 0 - East Africa

On Abdeslam Ouaddou 🏆

1 - Abdeslam Ouaddou is the first coach in PSL history to win the title having lost the first two games of the season. Before this, no team had finished above third after losing the opening two games.

Highest league finishes after losing the first two games of a season:

• 1st - Orlando Pirates 2025/26 (Ouaddou)

• 2nd -

• 3rd - Kaizer Chiefs 2008/9 (Muhsin Ertugral)

• 3rd - Royal AM 2021/22 (John Maduka)

On the Pirates' points record 🏆

69 - Altogether, Pirates accumulated 69 points, a new record for the club in the PSL era.

Most points for Pirates in a PSL season:

• 69 - This season (Champions in a 30-game season!)

• 68

• 67

• 66

• 65

• 64 - 1996/97 (finished 3rd in a 34-game season)

• 64 - 1999/00 (finished 2nd in a 34-game season)

On Sipho Chaine 🏆

21 - On an individual level, Sipho Chaine kept 21 clean sheets in the league this season, a new record for a keeper in a single PSL campaign.

Most clean sheets by a keeper in a season:

• 21 - Sipho Chaine (2025/26 for Pirates)*

• 20 -

• 19 -

• 18 - Ronwen Williams (2022/23 for Sundowns)

• 17 - Brian Baloyi (1999/00 for Chiefs)

• 17 - Moeneeb Josephs (2009/10 for Pirates)

On team clean sheets 🏆

21 - On a team level, Pirates thus kept 21 clean sheets, equalling the PSL record for clean sheets by a team in the competition’s history.

Most clean sheets by a team in a single league season:

• 21 - Kaizer Chiefs 2003/04

• 21 - Orlando Pirates 2025/26*

• 20 - Sundowns 2023/24

On a tight ship..🏆

12 - Pirates conceded just 12 goals all season in the league. Only twice before has a team conceded fewer goals in a PSL campaign.

Fewest goals conceded in a league season:

• 11 - Kaizer Chiefs 2003/04

• 11 - Sundowns 2023/24

• 12 - Orlando Pirates 2025/26*

An eventful week in local football has seen the highest-scoring game in PSL history, Sipho Chaine setting a new record for clean sheets, Orlando Pirates edging closer to a league title, and Sundowns losing (yet again) to TS Galaxy. Here are five stats from the recent PSL action, in detail…

On Kaizer Chiefs reaching 50 points

51 - Kaizer Chiefs have gone past the 50-point mark in a league season for the first time since the 2019/20 Covid-affected campaign. It is only the third time Chiefs have accumulated 50+ points in a season since they last won the title.

• Most points in a season for Chiefs since their 2015 title:

  • 57 - Season 2019/20 (Middendorp)

  • 51 - Season 2025/26 (Nabi + Kaze/Ben Youseff)*

  • 50 - Season 2026/17 (Komphela)

On Ronwen Williams conceding so many goals

15% - 15% of the league goals Ronwen Williams has conceded at Sundowns have come in the last four days.

• Goals conceded by Williams in 94 league games for Sundowns:

  • First 92 games: conceded 39 goals (never conceded 3 goals in a game)

  • Last 2 games: conceded 7 goals (conceded 3 & 4)

On players scoring a hat-trick against Sundowns

3 - Gamphani Lungu is only the third player in PSL history to score a hat-trick in a league game against Sundowns.

• Three players to score a hat-trick against Sundowns:

  • 2005 - Collins Mbesuma (Chiefs)

  • 2009 - Anthony Laffor (Supersport)

  • 2026 - Gamphani Lungu (Siwelele)*

    (The former two later joined Sundowns)

On Sipho Chaine breaking the clean sheet record

19 - Sipho Chaine kept his 19th clean sheet in the league this season, a new competition record for a goalkeeper in a single PSL campaign

• Most clean sheets by a keeper in a PSL season:

  • 19 - Sipho Chaine 2025/26*

  • 18 - Ronwen Williams 2022/23

  • 17 - Moeneeb Josephs 2009/10

  • 17 - Brian Baloyi 1999/00

On the league title being decided by goal difference

3 - Only three of the previous 29 PSL titles have been decided by Goal Difference. Should Pirates win one and lose one of their last two games, this would be the fourth.

• PSL titles decided by Goal Difference:

  • 1999/00 - Sundowns (+23GD) pipped Chiefs (+17GD)

  • 2008/09 - SuperSport Utd (+23GD) pipped Pirates (+17GD)

  • 2010/11 - Pirates (+18GD) pipped Ajax (+14GD)

On Sundowns breaking the Esperance duck…

1 - Sundowns became the first-ever South African team to win an away game against Espérance, with this being the 10th time Espérance has hosted a PSL team.

• PSL teams’ records away to Espérance:

  • Sundowns (P5 W0 D3 L2 before this weekend)

  • Orlando Pirates (P2 W0 D1 L1)

  • Kaizer Chiefs (P1 W0 D0 L1)

  • SuperSport United (P1 W0 D0 L1)

On clutch…

4 - Brayan Leon is the fourth player to score in both a quarter-final and a semi-final match for a South African side in the same African Cup/Champions League campaign.

• Players who have scored in the QF and SF of the same ACCC/CAFCL:

  • 2025/26 - Brayan Leon*

  • 2024/25 - Mohau Nkota

  • 2022/23 - Themba Zwane

  • 1995 - Jerry Sikhosana

On Kaizer Chiefs’ (re) emergence

1.91 - Kaizer Chiefs currently average 1.91 points per game this season, their best points-per-game ratio since winning the title in 2014/15 (2.3 points per game).

• Best points per game ratio at Chiefs since last title

  • 1.91 - This season*

  • 1.9 - Season 2019/20 (Middendorp)

  • 1.67 - 2016/17 (Komphela)

  • 1.6 - 2017/18 (Komphela +)

  • 1.57 - 2021/22 (Baxter +)

On Marumo Gallants avoiding an unwanted record…

23 - The 0-0 draw with Orbit College was Marumo Gallants’ 1st clean sheet of the season, ending a run of 23 games conceding from the start of the season.

• Most games without a clean sheet from the start of a season (PSL era):

  • 27 - Golden Arrows (2013/14)

  • 23 - Marumo Gallants (2025/26)*

  • 19 - Dynamos (1998/99)

  • 19 - Highlands Park (2016/17)

On TS Galaxy’s wobble

9 - TS Galaxy are winless in nine league games, which is also their longest winless run under Adnan Beganovic. Only one team has gone on a longer winless run this season.

• Longest winless runs by any team this season:

  • 11 - Magesi (ending April 2026)

  • 9 - TS Galaxy (ongoing)*

  • 9 - Marumo Gallants (ended March 2026)

  • 9 - Chippa (ending Jan 2026)

  • 8 - Orbit College (ended March 2026)

Read more

On Miguel Cardoso’s home record

0 - Sundowns have never lost a home league game under Miguel Cardoso.

• Sundowns’ home league games under Cardoso:

  • Played: 19

  • Won: 18

  • Drew: 1 (v Orlando Pirates in November, 1-1)

  • Lost: 0

On Sundowns’ New Year resolutions

8 – Sundowns have won eight consecutive league games since the beginning of 2026, equalling the PSL record for a team from the start of a calendar year.

• Most wins from the start of a calendar year:

  • 8 - Sundowns 2023 (under Rulani Mokwena)

  • 8 - Sundowns 2026 (Miguel Cardoso)🆕

  • 7 - Sundowns 1999 (Ted Dumitru)

  • 5 - Sekhukhune 2024 (Lehlohonolo Seema)

On Marumo Gallants’ lack of clean sheets

22 - Marumo Gallants are the only team that has conceded at least once in every league game this season. Only one team has played more games from the start of a PSL season without a clean sheet.

• Most games without a clean sheet from the start of the season:

  • 27 - Golden Arrows 2013/14

  • 22 - Marumo Gallants 2025/26 🆕

  • 19 - Dynamos 1998/99

  • 19 - Highlands Park 2016/17

On Pirates’ profligacy

55 - Orlando Pirates have missed 55 big chances this season, more than any other team

Big chance defined: A situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually in a one-on-one scenario or from very close range when the ball has a clear path to goal & there is low to moderate pressure on the shooter. Penalties are always considered big chances.

• Most big chances missed this season:

  • 55 - Orlando Pirates (26% big chance conversion rate)

  • 39 - TS Galaxy (26%)

  • 34 - Mamelodi Sundowns (41%)

On a low-volume assist “race”

5 - No player has provided more than five assists in the Betway Prem this season, with five players all level on five assists.

Five players with five assists in the league this season:

• 5 - Devin Titus (Stellenbosch)

• 5 - Deon Hotto (Orlando Pirates)

• 5 - Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates)

• 5 - Siyanda Ndlovu (Golden Arrows)

• 5 - Philani Khumalo (Golden Arrows)

Paid readers’ content below, including post-pandemic records for player assists, team big chances missed, etc.

Read more

On an expedited competition…

8 Mar 2026 - This is the earliest date in the year that the semi-finalists of this competition (PSL-era Bob Save/Absa/Nedbank Cup) have ever been decided.

Earliest dates we’ve known the Last 4:

• 8 March in 2026*

• 15 March in 2020

• 28 March in 2025

• 31 March in 2019

On an entertaining competition…

13 - 13 of this season’s Nedbank Cup matches have gone to extra time. Excluding qualifiers, this is the highest number in a single edition of the competition (PSL-era Bob-Save/ABSA/Nedbank Cups).

Most extra-times played in the FA Cup…

• 13 - 2025/26*

• 12 - 2020/21

• 11 - 2008/9, 2021/22 and 2022/23

On TS Galaxy’s record in the competition…

71% - TS Galaxy have won 15 of their 21 games in the Nedbank Cup, the highest win rate of any team in this competition in PSL history (71%).

Best win rates in the FA Cup (BobSave/ABSA/Nedbank Cups, min 7 games).

• 71% - TS Galaxy (P21 W15)*

• 70% - Sundowns (P102 W71)

• 68% - Kaizer Chiefs (P84 W57)

• 67% - Orlando Pirates (P91 W61)

On an underdog competition…

3 - This is only the third time in the PSL era that more than one non-top-flight club reaches the semi-finals of this competition (Bob Save/Absa/Nedbank Cups).

Editions when multiple non-top-flight sides reach the semis:

• 2026 - Milford FC & Casric Stars*

• 2011 - Black Leopards and Baroka

• 2009 - Black Leopards & Tuks

On an unexpected competition…

5 - This is the fifth time in PSL history that none of Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Sundowns has reached the semifinals of this competition, but the first since 2009.

Semi-finals where Chiefs, Sundowns and Pirates are MIA:

• 2026 - Milford, Casric Stars, TS Galaxy, Durban City

• 2009 - Swallows, Leopards, Ajax, Tuks

• 2005 - Santos, Dynamos, Wits, SuperSport

• 2004 - Santos, Swallows, Rangers, Ajax

• 2003 - Santos, Celtic, Ajax, Cosmos

Issue 1. Data availability

In 30 years of PSL history, 7,487 league games have been played with 16,424 goals scored. While we have full details on which player scored every goal, we do not have full details on all assists. Can’t speak for everyone, but would be surprised if anyone in the country has all the assists. The main reason is that not all PSL games have been televised in the PSL era, and even when televised, not all have undergone the same rigorous process of determining allocation of events to players (including assists). From 2020 onwards, every game has been televised (or available on stream), and the requisite partners have worked with the football bodies to ensure detailed event data is collected and made available, including assists. Yet, as late as 2019, there are goals for which the assist is “unconfirmed”.

Our data sources are a mix of handwritten details from the 90s, electronically captured details and magazines from the 2000s and 2010s. From the 2020s, we use our own database (watching every goal on TV & using Opta’s standards to record assists) and get access to event data via API feeds. All decades have varying levels of data depth, mostly influenced by the advancements made by technology.

Issue 2. Data consistency

The second issue with assists is that of consistency. Consistent application of data standards and definitions brings a certain level of trust in official statistics. Without that certainty, statistics and football conversations will simply lose value. Let’s see what Opta define an assist.

According to Opta, an assist is the final touch from a teammate, which leads to the recipient of the ball scoring a goal.

• If an opposition player deflects the assist, it must be deemed to have been travelling to the goal-scorer irrespective of the deflection (did the deflection bring the ball into the scorer’s path or was the ball headed to the scorer anyway?).

What is not an assist?

• No assist is awarded for an own-goal, a direct free-kick or a direct corner goal

• No assist is awarded for penalties unless the penalty taker passes the ball for another player to score.

• Fantasy assists are those outside the normal categorisation (and you’ll get them when playing Fantasy Football), e.g winning a penalty gets a player an assist for FPL, but not “officially”. Likewise, if Player A’s shot is parried by the keeper, and Player B scores the rebound, Player A gets a Fantasy assist, not an “official” one.

While scouring the internet and various websites to compare players seems like a simple solution to the problem, different sites also record assists in different ways (sometimes conflicting), making proper player comparison invalid. If a player featured in the league before 2020, he probably has more assists than what you’ll find on the internet. You will also find separate stats on the internet for the same player.

What about the English Premier League?

In England, it is easier to share which player has the most assists in EPL history because they have full footage of goals whose assists can be verified accordingly.

But even Opta Joe has limits. For example, shots and pass data are only available from 2003/4 onwards in the Premier League. For us, the limits are more extreme.

What next?

Unless full video footage of every goal is available and verified, we all have to be content with the phrase “since we have full data available 2020+”. It’s a small start, and things will improve as time goes by. In 20 years, we’ll have 50% of PSL assists known, and a 21-year-old player today can be compared with a 21-year-old player then.

20% - While only 20% of PSL games are fully covered in terms of event data (including assists), it is still more than any other league on the continent. Asset.

On Pirates’ shock exit…

3 - This was the 3rd time Orlando Pirates were eliminated from this competition (Bob Save/ABSA/Nedbank Cup) by a non-top-flight club.

• The three times that a non-top-flight club eliminated Pirates:

  • 2003 v Platinum Stars (2-0)

  • 2013 v Maluti FET College (4-1)

  • 2026 v Casric Stars (0-0 + pens)*

On clean sheets at Orlando Stadium…

2004 - Wandile Mthombeni is the fourth visiting keeper to register a clean sheet away to Orlando Pirates in this competition (Bob Save/ABSA/Nedbank)

• Keepers who kept a clean sheet away to Pirates in this competition:

  • Feb 2026 - Wandile Mthombeni (Casric) 🆕

  • April 2004 - Greg Etafia (Swallows)

  • April 2001 - Wendell Robinson (Swallows)

  • April 2000 - Bafana Mathibela (Bush Bucks)

On Sundowns’ peppering of AmaZulu’s goal…

29 - Sundowns had 29 shots against AmaZulu, the most attempts by any team in a game since full shots data became available (2020/21 onwards).

• Most shots by a team in a league game post-pandemic

  • 29 - Sundowns v AmaZulu (last night) 🆕

  • 28 - Orlando Pirates v AmaZulu (May 2023)

  • 27 - Marumo Gallants v Baroka (Nov 2020)

On Kaizer Chiefs losing at home, despite leading at halftime

5 - The 2-1 loss to Stellenbosch is only the fifth time in PSL history that Kaizer Chiefs have lost a home league game in which they were leading at half-time.

• Five times Chiefs lost a home game after leading at the break

  • 25 Feb 2026 v Stellies 🆕

  • 15 Oct 2022 v Chippa

  • 24 Jan 2016 v Platinum Stars

  • 5 Dec 2001 v SuperSport Utd

  • 30 Jan 1999 v Sundowns

On Sundowns’ domination of AmaZulu

32 - This was Sundowns' 32nd league win against AmaZulu (P46 W32 D9 L5), the most of any team against a single opponent in PSL history.

Most league wins by one team against another in PSL history:

• 32 - Sundowns v AmaZulu 🆕

• 30 - Sundowns v SuperSport

• 28 - Sundowns v Pirates

  

On goalkeepers providing assists. 🧤

7 - Darren Keet became the 7th goalkeeper to assist a league goal since we have full assist data available (2020 onwards), but the 1st since Edward Maova in September 2024.

• Keepers that assisted a league goal (2020+):

  • 2026 - Darren Keet (Durban City) v TS Galaxy

  • 2024 - Edward Maova (Arrows) v Marumo, Ali Sangare (Sekhukhune) v CT Spurs

  • 2023 - Sipho Chaine (Pirates) v Royal AM, Salim Magoola (Richards Bay) v SuperSport Utd, Stanley Nwabali (Chippa) v Cape Town Spurs

  • 2021 - Oscarine Masuluke (Baroka) v Black Leopards

On G/A🧑‍🏭

10 - Sede Junior Dion is the first PSL top-flight player to be directly involved in 10 league goals this season (9 goals, 1 assist).

• Players with the most direct goal involvements in the league this season:

  • 10 - Sede Dion (9G 1A) - Golden Arrows

  • 9 - Siyanda Ndlovu (4G 5A) - Golden Arrows

  • 8 - Tashreeq Matthews (4G 4A) - Sundowns

  • 8 - Puso Dithejane (4G 4A) - TS Galaxy

  • 8 - Seluleko Mahlambi (5G 3A) - TS Galaxy

  • 8 - Iqraam Rayners (6G 2A) - Sundowns

  • 8 - Bradley Grobler (7G 1A) - Sekhukhune

On coaches winning 10+ home games in a row 🏡

1 - Abdeslam Ouaddou is the first coach in PSL history to oversee 11 consecutive home wins across competitions for a single club.

Consecutive home wins by a coach in PSL history:

• 11 - Abdeslam Ouaddou (Pirates 2026)*

• 10 - Stuart Baxter (Chiefs 2014)

• 10 - Pitso Mosimane (Sundowns 2016)

• 10 - Rulani Mokwena (Sundowns 2023)

• 10 - Clive Barker + Godron Igesund (Santos 2001)

On Sundowns’ reaching the CAFCL quarter-finals🎱

8 - Since group stage elimination in 2018, Sundowns have reached the Last 8 of the CAF Champions League for the eighth consecutive season.

• Downs CAFCL record since 2018:

  • 3 - Semi-final eliminations (2018/19, 2022/23 and 2023/24)

  • 3 - Quarter-final eliminations (2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22)

  • 1 - Losing finalists (2024/25)

On Kaizer Chiefs’ struggles in Egypt 🇪🇬

0 - Kaizer Chiefs have never won an away game in Egypt, drawing one and losing three times on their visits to the north African country.

• Chiefs’ record in Egypt:

  • 1993 - lost 0-1 to Zamalek

  • 2001 - drew 1-1 v Ismalily

  • 2025 - lost 1-2 v Al Masry

  • 2026 - lost 1-2 v Zamalek

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Here are 14 Valentine’s Day PSL stats (league only).

On history..🌹

15 - 15 different PSL seasons have seen league games played on Valentine’s Day, starting with the inaugural 1996/97 season and ending with the 2021/22 campaign.

On goals scored..🌹

50 - 50 goals have been scored on Valentine’s Day in PSL league matches, with the first coming in the inaugural 1996/97 season.

10 - The 2014/15 season saw 10 goals scored on 14 February 2015, the most of any Valentine’s Day in PSL history.

On teams..🌹

6 - SuperSport United scored more league goals on Valentine’s Day than any other team (6), while Moroka Swallows have conceded the most goals on this day (5).

3 - AmaZulu have played three league games on Valentine’s Day (1999, 2009, and 2021) and failed to score in all three. No team has played so many games on Valentine’s Day and failed to score in any.

On players..🌹

0 - No player has scored a hat-trick on Valentine’s Day, but two players have scored twice - Edzai Kasinauyo (for Hellenic v Ajax in 2000) and Erwin Isaacs (for Santos v Supersport in 2007).

2 - Rhulani Manzini is the only player to score on Valentine’s Day in two different seasons - doing so in 2015/16 against Celtic & 2016/17 against Sundowns.

1 - Rhulani Manzini is also the only player in PSL history to score on Valentine’s Day both home (2017) and away (2016).

• In fact, Manzini got married in between his two Valentine’s Day goals (November 2016).

1 - ​​Jean-Marc Makusu (for Orlando Pirates 2021) & Sula Matovu (for Kaizer Chiefs in 2016) scored one goal for their PSL clubs. They are the only players in PSL history whose solitary goal for their clubs was scored on Valentine’s Day.

15 - Lerato Chabangu (nicknamed All You Need is Love) scored for Sundowns on Valentine’s Day, in a 2-1 win over Orlando Pirates in 2007.

On red cards..🌹

1 - Daniel Mudau received his first red card as a Sundowns player in the PSL era on Valentine’s Day in 1999 (v Manning Rangers).

On coaches..🌹

4 - Gordon Igesund is the only coach to win on Valentine’s Day with 4 different clubs (Manning Rangers, Free State Stars, Sundowns, and Black Aces).

4 - No coach has won more league games on this day than Gordon Igesund (4), while Roger De Sa and Steve Komphela are the only others with more than one win.

0 - Steve Komphela is unbeaten as a coach on Valentine’s Day, winning two and drawing two of his matches - all four results have come with 4 different clubs (Dynamos (W), Free State Stars (W), Maritzburg (D) & Chiefs (D).

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On Desmonds.

2-2 - Richards Bay 2-2 Golden Arrows was the first league game to end 2-2 this season (followed by Polokwane2-2 Orit the next day). It had been 360 days since a PSL game ended in a Desmond (2-2), the longest ever gap between 2-2s in PSL history.

Longest gap between Desmonds in PSL history (league only):

• 360 days - 4 Feb 2025 until 30 Jan 2026 🆕

• 335 days - 3 May 2023 until 2 April 2024

• 215 days - 16 Feb 2010 until 19 September 2010

On the symmetry of PSL teams in CAF

12 – PSL teams have played 12 games in the CAF Group stages (both comps), winning four, drawing four and losing four combined.

PSL teams group stage records:

• Sundowns: P4 W1 D2 L1

• Kaizer Chiefs: P4 W2 D1 L1

• Stellenbosch: P4 W1 D1 L2

• TOTAL: P12 W4 D4 L4

On Chiefs completing a double over Zesco

3 - Kaizer Chiefs are the 3rd PSL team to beat a Zambian team home & away in the same edition of a CAF competition, with eight different PSL clubs drawn against Zambian opponents overall.

The three teams that completed doubles over Zambian clubs:

• Manning Rangers (97/98) - beat Power Dynamos Home & Away under Gordon Igesund

• Orlando Pirates (2012/13) - beat Zanaco H & A under Roger de SA

• Kaizer Chiefs (2025/26) - beat Zesco H & A under Khalil Ben Youssef & Cedric Kaze 🆕

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On Orlando Pirates’ telepathy

2 - Yanela Mbuthuma and Relebohile Mofokeng are the third pair of Orlando Pirates teammates to assist each other’s goals in the same league game since full assist data is available (2020 onwards).

Instances where two Pirates players assisted each other in the same game (2020+):

• Makgaka <> Deon Hotto - 24 Nov 2021 v Stellenbosch

• Mokeng <> Saleng - 20 May 2023 v AmaZulu

• Mofokeng <> Mbuthuma - 31 Jan 2026 v Magesi 🆕

On Orlando Pirates equalling a PSL record

10 - Orlando Pirates have won each of their last 10 home games in all competitions, equalling the PSL record for consecutive home victories by a team across competitions.

Previous PSL teams that won 10 in a row at home (all comps):

• 10 - Santos (ending in 2001)

• 10 - Kaizer Chiefs (2014)

• 10 - Sundowns (2016)

• 10 - Sundowns (2023)

• 10 - Orlando Pirates (ongoing) 🆕