By The Numbers: Teams That Have Made The Best Start Of The Season

Orlando Pirates sit atop the PSL table with six wins from six. We thought it would be a good time to look back in PSL history to see which teams have made the best starts to a PSL season. Jose Riveiro’s Pirates are just the fifth team to win their opening five games of a season. Given that 476 unique teams have had the opportunity to achieve this, the feat is worthy of mention and celebration. We used Opta’s historical database to find the other teams who started strong and how they fared in those seasons.

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 the 2023/24 season. In what would turn into a 29-game unbeaten run, the six-time defending champions (at the time) had virtually sealed the title within a few months. Sekhukhune (2-1), Kaizer Chiefs (2-1), Golden Arrows (4-0), Chippa United (2-0), Richards Bay (1-0), and Polokwane City (2-0) fell in August before Orlando Pirates (1-0) and Stellenbosch (3-1) were dispatched in September.

SuperSport United (2-0) was their only game in November, while December saw victories over AmaZulu (1-0) and Cape Town Spurs (3-0). Cape Town City ended the winning streak just before Christmas with a 0-0 draw. Coincidentally, City would later prevent them from achieving an unbeaten season on the final day.

8 Wins: Kaizer Chiefs in 2014/15

Having narrowly missed the title in the 2013/14 season, Stuart Baxter’s Kaizer Chiefs started the 2014/15 season focused solely on winning the Absa Premiership title. George Lebese’s goal on Matchday 1 against Free State Stars set them off, with the 1-0 scoreline becoming a theme of their season.

During the eight-game winning streak, Chiefs did not fall behind once. By the end of August, they had added victories over Mpumalanga Black Aces (2-1), Bloem Celtic (1-0), Platinum Stars, and SuperSport United (both 2-0). September saw a two-goal effort from Yeye against Tuks (2-1), followed by 1-0 wins over Maritzburg United and Ajax, setting a then-PSL record. That record stood for nine years.

6 Wins: Orlando Pirates in 2002/03

Roy Barreto’s Orlando Pirates became the first team in PSL history to win their first six games of a season, en route to lifting the 2002/03 title. With a defense often consisting of Jimmy Tau, Lucky Lekgwathi, Mbulelo “OJ” Mabizela, Abednigo Netshiozwi, and goalkeeper Michael Babale, they kept five clean sheets in their opening six games.

The season began in October with a 1-0 win over Manning Rangers. They followed with victories over Sundowns (2-0), Hellenic (2-0), and Black Leopards (3-1), with Tso Vilakazi and Lesley Manyathela scoring in three consecutive matches. The six-game winning run concluded with wins over Ajax Cape Town (3-0) and Dynamos (2-0). Roger de Sa’s Wits ended their streak (1-0), but ironically, Pirates clinched the title against Wits later in the season with a 1-1 draw, securing a seven-point lead over Moroka Swallows with one match remaining.

6 Wins: Orlando Pirates in 2024/25

Twenty-two years later, Pirates equaled that record under Spanish coach Jose Riveiro. Like 2002, the season started late, although not as delayed. The campaign began with a dramatic 91st-minute victory over Chippa United, followed by a comfortable 3-0 win over Polokwane City the following week.

Kabelo Dlamini’s late goal against Richards Bay kept the streak alive before wins over SuperSport United (2-0) and AmaZulu (2-1). Their victory over TS Galaxy (2-0) matched the club’s six-game record, and with the PSL record in sight, fans hope this run will extend. Riveiro, already notable for overseeing three runs of five or more league wins during his tenure, has high expectations from Pirates supporters.

5 Wins: Kaizer Chiefs in 1996/97

In the inaugural PSL season, Kaizer Chiefs set the initial record with five consecutive wins, although they remain the only team in PSL history to achieve such a start and not lift the title. Chiefs were electric in their first five games, scoring 15 goals while conceding just three. After a 1-0 away win over Jomo Cosmos, they beat Bloem Celtic (2-0) and Umtata Bush Bucks (1-0) by early September.

A 7-2 demolition of Witbank Aces (who would finish the season in last place) continued the momentum, followed by a 4-1 win over Cape Town Spurs. Their winning run was halted with a 1-1 draw with SuperSport United. Chiefs went on to win only four of their next nine matches, hurting their title hopes as eventual champions Manning Rangers took advantage with a 3-1 victory.