Orlando Pirates' perfect start to the new Betway Premiership season has come with another top mark of accomplishments as Jose Riveiro keeps cruising on the steering wheel in the direction of the Promised Land.
Pirates made it six wins in a row on Tuesday as they got past TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium, moving up to 18 points.
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While this is now the best start to a new season for them, it is also the longest run of wins that the side have ever had in the league throughout the PSL era years.
So, this means from 870 league games that Bucs have played since August 10, 1996, when they won 2-1 against Moroka Swallows – six has been the highest that they have reached for consecutive wins.
They have now done it five times.
The first was at the start of the 2002/03 season when they collected all the first 18 points and ended as Castle Premiership champions.
There were wins against Manning Rangers (1-0), Mamelodi Sundowns (2-0), Hellenic (2-0), Black Leopards (3-1), Ajax Cape Town (3-0) and Dynamos (2-0).
The Soweto giants then had to wait until the beginning of 2011 to win six league games in a row again with Rudi Krol on their way to the league title, recording victories against Golden Arrows, Bidvest Wits, Free State Stars, Vasco da Gama, Mpumalanga Black Aces and Mamelodi Sundowns.
That 3-2 victory over Wits after having trailed 2-0 until the last 20 minutes turned Pirates into believers as they went on to lift the league with memorable last day drama at Orlando – Isaac Chansa drilling a late winner.
Then, on the two most recent occasions when they went on a six-match winning run, it didn't deliver the title.
They won six on the trot from January 7, 2020, to mid-February under Josef Zinnbauer, accounting for Polokwane City, Sundowns, Highlands Park, AmaZulu FC, Chippa United and Black Leopards.
Pirates finished third.
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Bucs also won six in a row throughout the months of March and April last year, getting past Moroka Swallows, SuperSport United, Richards Bay FC, Chippa, Cape Town City and Galaxy.
They finished as runners-up.
It is no secret that this season the priority is the title.