A statement win for Sundowns, including another Costa G/A match, plus important wins for Chiefs, Magesi, and Richards Bay. AmaZulu’s coaching duo march on, while Cape Town City blank in more ways than one, as the league reaches its halfway stage. Here are 10 of the best stats from the PSL weekend (it’s a very yellow edition).
On Lucas Ribeiro
5 - This weekend was the 5th time Lucas Costa has both scored and assisted a goal in the same league game for Sundowns; the joint-most one player has done so in one season since we have this data available (2019/20+).
Most times, a player had a goal and assist in the same season:
5 - Bradley Grobler (2019/20)
5- Lucas Costa (2024/25)
3 - Saleng (22/23), Shalulile (20/21 & 22/23), Hotto (21/22), Billiat (21/22), Menzi Msuku (19/20) and Ndumiso Mabena (19/20).
On Sundowns’ points machine
42 - Sundowns have won 42 points from their 15 games this season, a new PSL record for points at the halfway stage of a 30-game season.
Most points at the halfway stage of a 30-game season:
42 - Sundowns 2024/25*
39 - Sundowns 2023/24 (Mokwena)
37 - Chiefs 2014/15 (Baxter)
37 - Sundowns 2021/22 (Mngqithi/Mokwena)
37- Sundowns 2022/23 [(Mngqithi/Mokwena (P10) + Mokwena alone (P5)]
On Sundowns’ firepower
35 - Downs have scored 35 goals in 15 league games this season, also a new PSL record for goals at the halfway stage of a 30-game campaign.
Most goals at the halfway stage of a 30-game season:
35 - Sundowns 2024/24*
31 - Chiefs 2004/5
30 - Chiefs (2019/20), Sundowns (2011/12, 2016/17, 2022/23), SSU (2002/3, 2009/10)
On Miguel Cardoso
7 - Sundowns boss Miguel Cardoso is the first coach in Premier Soccer League history to win each of his first seven games in this league/competition.
*This only counts a coach’s first set of league games, not their first at a particular club. Rulani Mokwena, for example, won 11 in a row at the start of his sole coaching gig, but had coached at Pirates and Chippa before.
PS. Had to do some reverse engineering here: Instead of checking each coach’s first seven games to see if they won seven consecutive matches, we filter all instances where a coach has a 7-game winning streak and then verify if they had coached any matches before that streak (Haha - tricks of the trade).
On Sundowns’ winning run
10 - Sundowns have won each of their last 10 league games, the longest winning streak of any team in the top-flight this season.
Longest winning runs in PSL history (league only):
15 - Sundowns ending Feb 2023 (Mngqithi/Mokwena and then Mokwena alone)
11 - Sundowns ending December 2023 (Mokwena)
11 - Sundowns ending April 2007 (Igesund)
10 - Sundowns ending May 2014 (Mosimane)
10 - Sundowns ongoing*
On the Chiefs’ legendary defence
6 - Sundowns have conceded just 6 goals after 15 games this season - not a record, but the sixth-lowest in PSL history.
Fewest goals conceded at the halfway stage:
2 - Chiefs 2003/4
4 - Sundowns 2023/24
5 - Sundowns (2021/22, 2022/23), Wits 2003/4
6 - Sundowns 2024/25*
Bonus
101 - The 4-1 win over Pirates was also the 101st occasion in which Sundowns scored 4+ goals in a game in the PSL era (59 league, 42 Cups), more than any side.
4 - Glody Lilepo is the 4th player from the DR Congo to score for Kaizer Chiefs in a PSL competition, after EmekaMamale, Kabamba Musasa & Christian Saille.
0 - This was the first time since August 2022 that Cape Town City had no shots on target in a league game (vs. Maritzburg then).
23 - Only Sundowns (30) have won more points than AmaZulu since Arthur Zwane & Vusumuzi Vilakazi’s first game in charge.
