Title Race conversations and 2024 wrap!!
10 games in - can Pirates and Sundowns give us a City-Liverpool-type title race?
This season both Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns have won 9 of their first 10 games in the league, something that has never happened before (i.e. in the same season). Before today, only three teams in 28 PSL seasons had managed to win at least 9 of their first 10 league games. And now we have two doing the same this term. The previous three teams all went on to win the title - we are guaranteed that at least one of these two teams will sadly break that record. Does this equate to a title race? Only time will tell, but we can dig back in history to see some stats after 10 games.
The best starts to a PSL season:
Rulani Mokwena’s Sundowns remain the only team to win 10 of their first 10 games of the league season, setting up a foundation for a record-setting points total. Altogether, they started last season with 11 straight wins, until a 0-0 draw with Cape Town City on Christmas Eve. It would be the same City side that would prevent them from becoming the first-ever Invincibles on MD30 in May.
Most points won after 10 games of a PSL season:
30 - Sundowns 2023/24 (ended the season as champions)
29 -
28 - Sundowns 1999/00 (ended the season as champions)
28 - Kaizer Chiefs 2014/15 (ended the season as champions)
27 - Sundowns 2024/25🆕
27 - Orlando Pirates 2024/25🆕
Best title races
For the first time in PSL history, two teams have taken more than 22 points from their opening 10 games. Only three seasons have seen more than one team win 22 of their first available 30 points. Last season, SuperSport won 22 points from 10 games, but were way short of Sundowns’ perfect 30/30. 2020/21 is the last time we had a real title race, with Swallows and SuperSport involved. As late as January 30 (MD14), the top three teams were separated by just two points:
Seasons where more than one team had >22 points from 10 games:
2020/21 - Sundowns (24), Swallows (22), SuperSport (22)
1996/97 - Kaizer Chiefs (26), Manning Rangers (22)
2023/24 - Sundowns (30) & SuperSport United (22)
The 2024 Calendar year
Sundowns are the calendar year champions (again). You have to go back to 2018 for the last time Sundowns did not win the most points from January to December (Pirates did that year; while Sundowns were third behind Wits).
Pirates’ latest victory was their 16th of the league in 2024 (P24 W16 D4 L4). At 2.17 points per game, that represents the Buccaneers’ second-best calendar year in PSL history (2.19 in 2012 - 68 points from 31 games). But it’s fine margins - one more point this year becomes 2.21 ppg.
As for Chiefs, this was a year to forget. They may be unbeaten in the final league game of a calendar year in the last 25 years (W14 D11 since 1999), but they are one team that can’t wait for the fresh start 2025 will bring. Six wins and 27 points are record lows for the club in a year, while the 1.17 points per game is the second worst (1.16 in 2007 - W8/31).
Credit must be given to Sekhukhune, who won the third most points this year, while there are notable mentions for Stellenbosch and Polokwane City, the other teams to win 10+ league games in 2024.
