The 2019-20 Absa Premiership season is now a thing of the past with Mamelodi Sundowns crowned champions on a dramatic final day.
It was the longest domestic season in South African football history and played under the most difficult conditions, but still provided plenty of thrills and twists along the way.
SuperSport.com adds up the key numbers from the season.
3 – This is the third occasion that a club has managed three successive championships. Mamelodi Sundowns claimed a hat-trick of titles between 1997-2000, while their Tshwane rivals SuperSport did likewise between 2007-2010. The Brazilians, therefore, will be the first to win four in a row if they claim next year’s championship.
5 – Pitso Mosimane has become the first coach in South African football history to win five league titles after his latest triumph. He had been level on four with Jeff Butler, Ted Dumitru, Gordon Igesund and Gavin Hunt.
5 – Bloemfontein Celtic completed the biggest victory in the 2019-20 Absa Premiership season when they beat Lamontville Golden Arrows 5-0 on 11 August. Only two other teams managed to score five goals in the entire campaign – Kaizer Chiefs (5-3 vs Celtic) and Cape Town City (5-3 vs Polokwane City).
10 – Two matches this season featured 10 bookings, the most of the campaign. Those were Lamontville Golden Arrows’ 1-0 win over SuperSport United and Highlands Park’s 2-0 success over Polokwane City.
10 – Mamelodi Sundowns have now won 10 championships since the Premier Soccer League was formed ahead of the 1996-97 season. Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs have won four each in that time. Sundowns have also won the most overall league championships with 14 to Chiefs’ 12 and Pirates’ nine.
13 – SuperSport United goalkeeper Ronwen Williams kept the most clean sheets this season with 13 in the 30 matches he played. But the highest percentage from keepers who played 15 games or more was Chippa United’s Veli Mothwa, who kept 11 in 19 appearances (58%).
13 – Kaizer Chiefs and Bloemfontein Celtic were the best sides after falling behind this season, with both claiming 13 points from losing positions. Chiefs went behind on 12 occasions and Celtic on 16. Black Leopards went behind in 23 of their 30 games and managed to regain 10 points.
16 – Gabadinho Mhango (Orlando Pirates) and Peter Shalulile (Highlands Park) finished as the leading scorers in the Absa Premiership with 16 goals, the same number as Mwape Musonda (Black Leopards) managed last season to claim the Golden Boot. They are the highest totals since Siyabonga Nomvethe’s 20 goals in the 2011-12 campaign.
18 – Chippa United were the most miserly scorers this season with just 18 goals in their 30 matches, one less than Baroka FC (19) who were second on this unwanted list.
19 – BidVest Wits teenager Rowan Human was the youngest scorer in the Absa Premiership as he netted against AmaZulu at the age of 19 years and seven months. In all, four teenagers scored, the others being Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Maritzburg United - 19 years, 8 months, 8 days), Evidence Makgopa (Baroka FC - 19 years, 9 months, 2 days) and Luke Fleurs (SuperSport United - 19 years, 10 months, 21 days)
22 – Mamelodi Sundowns had the joint-best defence in the top-flight this season as they and BidVest Wits conceded only 22 goals in their 30 games. Their goal-difference (+21) was level with Kaizer Chiefs as the best in the elite division.
23 – Kaizer Chiefs were the side that took the lead the most times this season, going ahead in games on 23 occasions. Of those, they won 17, drew five and lost one (1-3 against Bloemfontein Celtic).
30 – Kaizer Chiefs were the best side on the road this season with 30 points (out of 45), though of course, the bio-bubble does skew these figures somewhat. Mamelodi Sundowns were the next best in ‘away’ games with 26. Polokwane City and Black Leopards both had the least with eight each.
33 – Mamelodi Sundowns picked up the most ‘home’ points this season with 33 (out of 45), followed by Orlando Pirates (32), and the duo of SuperSport United and Cape Town City (both 30). Kaizer Chiefs managed 27. Baroka FC (14) picked up the least.
38 – Baroka FC used the most players this Absa Premiership season with 38, followed by Bloemfontein Celtic (34). SuperSport United used the least (26).
38 – The oldest goalscorer in the Absa Premiership this season was Polokwane City's Jabulani Maluleke, who was 38 years, four months and 29 days when he netted against Kaizer Chiefs.
44 – Perhaps not surprisingly, the bottom two sides had the worst defensive record in the Absa Premiership as both Polokwane City and Black Leopards conceded 44 goals. City’s -19 goal-difference was the worst of any side.
48 – Kaizer Chiefs were the leading scorers in this year’s Absa Premiership with 48 goals, five more than Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United and Bloemfontein Celtic, who all finished with 43.
59 – Mamelodi Sundowns won the Absa Premiership title with 59 points, the exact same number that took them to the title in the 2018-29 season, and one less (60) than when they lifted the trophy in the 2017-18 campaign. They have been consistent with their points hauls over the last three years.
103 – Referee Thando Ndzandzeka was comfortably the biggest disciplinarian in the Absa Premiership this season, hanging out 103 yellow cards in 26 games, to go with four reds. His number of penalties (seven) was second only to Masixole Bambiso, who awarded nine (in 18 games). The next highest number of yellow cards was 78 from Abongile Tom (in 23 games).
400 – It took exactly 400 days to complete the Absa Premiership season following its start on 3 August, 2019.