Mamelodi Sundowns extended their unbeaten run in the DStv Premiership to 41 games at the weekend with a 2-0 win over Chippa United, setting new benchmarks in South African football.
If they manage to hold on until the end of this season, they will not only have an “Invincible” campaign, but they will also have the 20 longest unbeaten streaks in world football leagues this century.
That would take their run to 54 straight games and overpower Arsene Wenger’s wonderful Arsenal, who were unbeaten in 49 Premier League games between 2003 and 2004.
Juventus were also unbeaten in 49 Serie A matches between 2011 and 2012, while Portugal’s FC Porto were unbeaten in 53 matches between 2012 and 2013.
The Portuguese were also unbeaten in 55 matches between 2010 and 2012 and, more recently, in 58 matches between 2020 and 2022, while dominating the Primeira Liga.
But Sundowns still have a long way to go to conquer the overall record, or even the African record.
According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, the longest unbeaten run by a club this century is Gibraltar’s 88-game Lincoln Red Imps between 2009 and 2014.
The Red Imps have won 20 of Gibraltar’s 23 league titles since the 2000/01 season and are unbeaten in the league for five years.
Their streak ended with a 1-0 loss at home to the Lynx, after which they went on a 38-game unbeaten streak.
The African record is held by Egyptian giants Al Ahly, who were unbeaten in 71 league games between 2004 and 2007. Thus, 30 games, or a full season of the DStv Premiership, will make Sundowns equal to that streak.
The other more sensible African nations are TP Mazembe (63 matches) and Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo (58), Al Hilal of Sudan (57), Primeiro Agosto of Angola (57), Zamalek of Egypt (52) and Al-Merreikh (51). Sudan, Mbabane Swallows (51) from Eswatini and APR (50) from Rwanda.
If Sundowns manage to remain unbeaten for the rest of this season, they will move up to 16th on the list alongside Slavia Prague (54) of the Czech Republic, who were unbeaten between 2020 and 2021.
Sundowns’ next game in the league is Tuesday’s Tshwane Derby against SuperSport United, which may be a real test of their ability to continue their run. Matsatsantsa were the last team to beat them in the DStv Premiership in September 2022.
THE LONGEST UNBEATEN STREAK IN THE DOMESTIC LEAGUES THIS CENTURY
1. Lincoln’s Red Imps (Gibraltar) – 88
2. Al-Ahly (Egypt) – 71
3. Sheriff (Moldova) – 63
=. Almighty Mazembe (DR Congo) – 63
5. Levadia (Estonia) – 61
6. Al-Hilal Omdurman (Sudan) – 60
7. Pyunik (Armenia) – 59
8. Vita Club (DR Congo) – 58
=. Porto (Portugal) – 58
10. Al-Hilal Omdurman (Sudan) – 57
=. Red Star Zvezda (Serbia) – 57
=. First August (Angola) – 57
13. Celtic (Scotland) – 56
14. Porto (Portugal) – 55
=. Real Estelí (Nicaragua) – 55
16. Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) – 54
17. Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan) – 53
=. Porto (Portugal) – 53
=. Bayern (Germany) – 53
20. Zamalek (Egypt) – 52
=. Malien Stadium (Mali) – 52
22. Al-Merreikh (Sudan) – 51
=. Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan) – 51
=. Hekari United (Papua New Guinea) – 51
=. Al-Ahly (Saudi Arabia) – 51
=. Istiqlol (Tajikistan) – 51
=. Swallows of Mbabane (Eswatini) – 51
=. PAOK (Greece) – 51
=. Red Star Zvezda (Serbia) – 1
30. Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) – 50
=. APR (Rwanda) – 50
32. Arsenal (England) – 49
=. Nepal Police Club (Nepal) – 49
=. Juventus (Italy) – 49
=. Al-Sadd (Qatar) – 49
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