Seluleko Mahlambi’s opening goal for TS Galaxy in 36 seconds against Betway Premiership newcomers Orbit College at Dobsonville on the weekend made it onto the list of the 15 fastest goals in South African football history.
Mahlambi continued his rich vein of form as he swept home the ball from close range before Galaxy went on to win 3-1 and move up to fourth in the standings.
The record for the fastest goal is 10 seconds, scored by Aleni Lebyane in a league match for Free State Stars against Santos in early 2010 and then matched by Peter Shalulile’s early goal for Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg of their MTN8 semifinal against Kaizer Chiefs at Atteridgeville two years ago.
Both were verified by television time clocks, but the previous record claim of 10 seconds set by Abednigo ‘Shaka' Ngcobo for Chiefs against Moroka Swallows in 1976 came in an era before fulsome TV coverage and remains a claim in newspaper reports only.
Many of the other time claims from the 1980s and 90s come from matches that were not televised and did not have an official clock to verify the reports.
Here is the list of the fastest goals in South African football:
10 seconds – Aleni Lebyane for Free State Stars v Santos, 2010
Shaka Ngcobo for Kaizer Chiefs v Moroka Swallows, 1976
Peter Shalulile for Mamelodi Sundowns v Kaizer Chiefs, 2023
12 seconds - Gerald Stober for Hellenic v Manning Rangers, 1995
13 seconds – Rogers Lupiya for Fairway Stars v Giant Blackpool, 1989
Reggie Jantjies for Hellenic v Bush Bucks, 1989
15 seconds – Albert Bwalya for Wits University v AmaZulu, 1989
James Mkhwanazi for Blackpool v Bush Bucks, 1990
19 seconds – Mabhudi Khenyeza for Kaizer Chiefs v Orlando Pirates, 2007
30 seconds – Alton Meiring for Hellenic v Mamelodi Sundowns, 1995
Sabelo Peter for Hellenic v Blackpool, 1987
Gerald Stober for Hellenic v Real Rovers, 1995
36 seconds - Seluleko Mahlambi for TS Galaxy v Orbit College, 2025
38 seconds – Bradley Muir for Manning Rangers v Chelsea, 1991
40 seconds - Gerald Stober for Hellenic v Umtata Bush Bucks, 1995