After Mamelodi Sundowns' perfect start in the Betway Premiership came to an end at matchday five, KickOff reflects on whether that is of any significance in the bigger scheme of things.
Sundowns could not win five games in a row to keep up with Orlando Pirates at the top of the standings, after a lethargic 1-0 defeat to Polokwane City last Sunday.
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New head coach Manqoba Mngqithi will always be compared to his predecessor Rulani Mokwena and to the time they were co-coaches.
This publication reflects on the past few seasons and analyses whether The Brazilians' loss on matchday five is a cause for concern or a storm in a teacup.
Mngqithi was always going to find it difficult to repeat a winning streak in the league from the start of the season, after the side set a new record in the PSL era in 2023/24.
They won 11 games in a row, before they drew 0-0 against Cape Town City on Christmas Eve.
The Tshwane giants almost ended the whole league season unbeaten, prior to losing on the final matchday, against Eric Tinkler's men.
A season before, their first loss came in their second league game, after a shock 1-0 defeat to TS Galaxy, but that did not hold them back after winning the league title by 16 points.
Even in the 2021/22 term, the men wearing Yellow and Blue only won their first three games in a row but could not extend their perfect start, after a goalless draw against Chippa United in their fourth game.
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However, they went on a 15-game unbeaten run after that, before a 1-0 loss to AmaZulu FC on 20 December, and were able to win the league by 16 points.
Although it is not unusual for the Chloorkop-based outfit to drop points early in the season, what would be a concern for Sundowns fans is that currently, they cannot afford a couple of mishaps, as Pirates could make them pay.
This is unlike in previous seasons, where seven-time consecutive league champions did not have a strong challenger breathing on their neck.