They may have “failed” to set a new points record, but Sundowns’ 2022/23 campaign remains one of the finest we’ve seen in South African professional football. On Tuesday, that campaign drew to a close with a 1-1 draw against a Maritzburg side who were also fighting for dear life. This weekend, they’ll attempt to reach the CAF Champions League final, a result that, for some, could shape their season. Before then, we dug through some numbers to bring you 10 records that the 2022/23 champions ought to be remembered by
1. Their Winning Streak
15 – Between 7 September 2022 and 4 Feb 2023, Sundowns won 15 straight league games, setting a new record for consecutive league wins by a PSL top-flight team (15)
2. Their Clean Sheet Record
18 – Ronwen Williams kept 18 clean sheets for Sundowns in the league this season, a new record for a goalkeeper in a single PSL campaign.
3. Their Home Record
11 – Sundowns won 11 straight home league games this season, a new PSL record, eclipsing the 10 game run held by Paul Dolezar’s Sundowns in 1999.
4. Their Total Home Points
38 – In the end, Sundowns won 38 points at home (P15 W12 D2 L1), equalling the PSL record for a 16-team campaign (from 2002/3 onwards)
5. Their Goal Difference
+39 – Sundowns set a new record for goal difference in a 30-game PSL season (+39), eclipsing the +36 they set last season. Across all PSL seasons (30 and 34-game), only 1998/99 Sundowns (+44) have ended a campaign with a better difference.
6. Their Pace To 50 Points
50 – Sundowns became the fastest team ever to reach 50 points in a PSL top-flight season, doing so in just 20 games (record was held by Chiefs – 21 games in 2014/15)
7. Their Unbeaten Run During The Season
23 – Sundowns (Matchday 7 to Matchday 30) set a new record for the longest unbeaten league run within a single PSL season
8. Their Ability To Beat All Opposing Teams
15 – Sundowns beat all the opposing teams at least once this season, equalling a PSL 100% record set by Kaizer Chiefs in 2013/14 & 2014/15.
9. Their Early Title Victory
7 – Sundowns won the title with seven games still left to play, the earliest title victory in terms of remaining matches in PSL history.
10. Their Gap At The Top
19 – Should it be maintained over the weekend, the 19-point gap between 1st and 2nd would be a new record. If SuperSport and/or Pirates win, that gap will be down to 16, which would still equal the current PSL record between 1st and 2nd.