Football Review – Winners And Losers By Opta Jabu

Opta Jabu combs through the numbers to bring out the biggest winners and losers from this weekend’s domestic football action.

Winners

Mamelodi Sundowns – Winner

The writing has been on the wall for a few months now, but there is added significance when it is officially confirmed. Any team that can string together 10 wins in a row is guaranteed to be champions. Sundowns went not one, two, three, or four better. They went five further, setting a new PSL record for 15 straight wins. The points they accumulated in that 15-game run alone would be enough to give them a 5-point lead ahead of teams that have played 24 games. We have to find new superlatives for a team that’s constantly breaking records. 13 titles are one shy of all the other teams combined, while they are the first to win a 6th consecutive title. We’ll get into more details on Sundown’s title win in the coming weeks, but for now in this set of infamous words “Congratulations to everyone at Mamelodi Sundowns”.

7 – Sundowns have won the title with seven games left to play, the earliest title victory in terms of remaining matches in PSL history.

Orlando Pirates – Winner

A few months ago, many were speculating that Pirates would be the closest challengers for the title. Okay, that has not happened, although they beat Sundowns on the way to the MTN8 title. They are both in the Last 8 of the Nedbank Cup, and should Pirates win that too, the speculation could pick up yet again.

Pirates’ form has been patchy for most of the season, with various three game runs – unbeaten, winless, losing, or winning being a theme of their season. Yet, 21 points from 10 games this year is nothing to be sniffed at. Extrapolate that over a season, and you have a 60-65 point total that could pose a significant threat to the Sundown’s hegemony. But Jose Riveiro has work to do. This was the first time Pirates won back-to-back away games in three years, something that has to improve if the flashes of brilliance are to be converted into a sustainable challenge in the future.

The signs of improvement are there – Pirates have already won more matches in 80% of this season (12) than they managed in all of the last (10). But they need to get to the next level to even match Sundowns

12 – The last time Pirates had more wins at this stage of a season was in the title-winning season of 2011/12 (14).

Terrence Dzvukamanja Charm – Winner

Thembinkosi Lorch was the Man of the Match, but the former Wits player may be the lucky charm Pirates never knew they needed.

100% – Dzvukamanja has won 100% of the league matches he’s scored in (12 in 11 wins); the best 100% record of any player in PSL history

Kagiso Malinga – Winner

His goals have been worth nine points to the Birds this year, and Swallows management will owe him a massive bonus should the team survive yet another season in the top flight.

5 – Malinga has scored 5 goals in 10 appearances in 2023, more than he managed in 44 top-flight appearances before then (1).

Swallows FC – Winner

Time and games are running out for teams on the lower end of the table. Swallows FC won back-to-back away league matches for the first time since their 2020 promotion. No Middendorp. No problem.

Fadlu Davids – Winner

The fixture calendar has not favoured Fadlu Davids in recent weeks, facing teams currently in 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 4th in consecutive games. A forthcoming run of TS Galaxy, Sekhukhune, Richards Bay, Swallows & Marumo Gallants should yield the 10 points needed for safety, and Davids will be happy to have started this run well. a sheet since the World Cup, and Arrows look like they are edging closer to safety.

7 – Maritzburg won their first game since 21 Jan, bringing an end to a run of seven winless games across all competitions.

Chiefs On April Fools Day – Winner

0 – Chiefs have never lost a game on April Fool’s Day (P4 W3 D1 L0 in 1998, 2007, 2017 and 2022)

Losers

AmaZulu – Loser

It’s incredible to imagine that AmaZulu finished as Runners-Up to Sundowns just two seasons ago. That they were in the CAF Champions League as recently as last season. It’s even more incredible to remember that they spent almost one week at the top of the league earlier in the campaign (5 days).

The club’ goals have gone from winning the title to surviving relegation, in a very short space of time. It’s clear something is clearly not going right there. A league table from the beginning of the year would have them in 13th, with just two wins from 10 games played in 2023. They play four of the current Top 5 in their run-in (City, SuperSport, Sundowns & Pirates), and could find themselves in more trouble if they don’t get a few wins in that run. Particularly at home.

4 – AmaZulu are winless in four home league games, their worst run of home form since January 2018 (5 winless under Cavin Johnson).

Gavin Hunt – Loser

1 – Gavin Hunt has won just one of the last 12 matches against teams that he’s previously managed (P13 W1 D5 L7).

Richards Bay – Loser

Richards Bay is the first to lose six consecutive league games this season, and the first overall since Polokwane City in 2019/20.

7 – They’ve failed to score seven times at home this season, the most of all teams.