The Best Starts to a PSL season
Pirates' perfect start has ended, but which teams rank best historically...
Which teams have made the best starts to a PSL season? We use Opta’s historical data to find out.
11 Wins: Sundowns in 2023-24
Sundowns hold the record for the best start to a PSL season with 11 consecutive wins at the start of 2023/24. In what would go on to be a 29-game unbeaten season, the six-time defending champions (at the time) had effectively sealed the title in a few months
Sekhukhune (2-1), Kaizer Chiefs (2-1), Golden Arrows (4-0), Chippa Utd (2-0), Richards Bay (1-0) & Polokwane City (2-0) fell in August before Orlando Pirates (1-0) and Stellenbosch (3-1) were slain in September. Distracted by the African Football League, Supersport United (2-0) was the only game they played and won in November. December saw AmaZulu (1-0) & Cape Town Spurs (3-0). In what was a precursor to what was to come later in the season, Cape Town City ended the winning run just before Christmas with a goalless draw in Cape Town. The same City would deny them invincibility on the final day of the season.
8 Wins: Kaizer Chiefs in 2014/15
Having lost out on the title in a race that went all the way to the penultimate Gameweek in 2013/14, Stuart Baxter’s Kaizer Chiefs started the 2014/15 season with one thing on their mind - the Absa Premiership title. George Lebese’s goal on MD1 against Free State Stars set them on their way, and that 1-0 scoreline would prove a staple for the season.
During the eight-game run, Chiefs did not fall behind in any of their games, adding Mpumalanga Black Aces (2-1), Bloem Celtic (1-0), Platinum Starts & SuperSport (both 2-0) to their list by the end of August. September saw a Yeye double help dispatch Tuks (2-1), followed by a 1-0 win over Maritzburg United, with the same result against Ajax sealing what (at the time) was a new PSL record. That record would stand for nine years.
7 Wins: Orlando Pirates in 2024/25
Pirates set a new club record of seven straight wins under Spanish coach Jose Riveiro (both from the start of the season. It’s also their best run at any time in a season. Once again the league season started late (this time for everyone), although it was not as late as 2002/3. Likewise, a very late (91st minute) win over Chippa United kickstarted this present run, before a comfortable 3-0 win over Polokwane City the following week.
Kabelo Dlamini’s late goal against Richards Bay kept the run going, before SuperSport (2-0) and AmaZulu (2-1) also suffered at the hands of the latest version of the Buccaneers. The win over TS Galaxy (2-0) helped them equal a club record, and a 1-0 over Richards Bay made it a magnificent seven. The run came to an end against Steve Barkers Stellenbosch this past weekend, as the visitors won 1-0 thanks to Devin Titus’ goal.
6 Wins: Orlando Pirates in 2002/03
Roy Barreto’s Orlando Pirates became the first team in PSL history to win their opening six games of a season, on their way to lifting the 2002/3 crown. A defence comprising (most often) of Jimmy Tau, Lucky Lekgwathi, Mbulelo OJ Mabizela, Abednigo Netshiozwi and goalkeeper Michael Babale kept five clean sheets in their opening six games.
Their season started only in October, with a 1-0 win over Manning Rangers. Sundowns (2-0) followed a few days later, and then Hellenic (2-0) and black Leopards (3-1) by the same margin and the same goalscorers (Tso Vilakazi & Lesley Manyathela) in three straight games. In exactly one month, Downs had completed six in six with Ajax Cape Town (3-0) & Dynamos (2-0) conquered next. Roger de Sa’s Wits ended that winning run (1-0). Ironically, the Buccaneers won the title against Wits in the reverse fixture despite drawing 1-1. The point was their 60th that season, with one match left to play but opened uo a seven-point gap to nearest challengers Moroka Swallows (P28).
5 Wins: Kaizer Chiefs in 1996/97
The inaugural PSL season saw Kaizer Chiefs become the first time to set this record. Yet, they remain the only team in PSL history to win five at the start of the season, and fail to lift the title. Chiefs were mesmerising in those first five game, scoring 15 goals and conceding just three. After a 1-0 away win over Jomo Cosmos, they beat Bloemfontein Celtic (2-0) and Umtata Bush Bucks (1-0) by the first week of September.
A 7-2 thrashing of Witbank Aces (who would end that season bottom) helped continue the momentum, and a 4-1 win over Cape Town Spurs (with Andre Arendse in goal) took them to to the initial record. However, a 1-1 draw with SuperSport ended that run. Chiefs only won four of the next nine games as their title hopes took a knock, including a 3-1 reverse to eventual champions Manning Rangers.