Mamelodi Sundowns' victory against Sekhukhune United on Tuesday night in a DStv Premiership fixture saw the Brazilians set yet another PSL record.
Despite a congested fixture that forced them into as many as 11 changes to the starting eleven that faced Esperance in the CAF Champions League on Saturday, Sundowns dug deep to overcome an in-form Babina Noko at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday evening.
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Goals came from new signing Tashreeq Matthews and Thapelo Morena within the first 10 minutes, before Sekhukhune’s Chibuike Ohizu pulled one back for the visitors via the penalty spot in the second half.
The win was a significant one for the home side as it marks a new PSL record. In avoiding defeat against Lehlohonolo Seema's men, Sundowns officially became the first team in the PSL to go unbeaten for the opening 22 matches of a league campaign.
The Rulani Mokwena-led side has played 22 matches, 17 of which they won, with five drawn.
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— Sahil Ebrahim (@sahil_e_) April 23, 2024
Pouncing on that, #70 for Mamelodi Sundowns with the finish in the 1st minute of play! ??
Matthews' 2nd goal for @Masandawana ??
Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 Sekhukhune Utd pic.twitter.com/tLLc6iAuq9
Impressively, the precious record of 21 matches unbeaten at the start of a season was held by none other than Sundowns when they went 21 games without defeat at the start of the 2021/22 season. The same season produced a domestic treble for The Brazilians as they walked away with the league title, Nedbank Cup and MTN8.
With just eight more matches to play, Sundowns now face the prospect of ending the season without losing a single league match.
Mokwena, though, has dismissed the suggestion.
"I don't want to talk about that unbeaten record because in the world, one team has done it, which is Arsenal in that Invincibles season," Mokwena said mid-April when quizzed by journalists on the prospect of replicating the famous Arsenal's Invincibles season.
"That tells you how difficult it is, that invincibility, to go the entire season (unbeaten). That's tough. Why even think about it when it's only being done once in a blue moon?"
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Among their records, Sundowns also currently hold the PSL record for the longest unbeaten run, having last tasted a league defeat in a 2-1 loss to rivals SuperSport United in September 2022.
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