Champions Sundowns fail to score in successive matches
Sundowns, who clinched a sixth straight league title last weekend, have failed to score in just three of 25 Premiership matches during this campaign.
Champions Mamelodi Sundowns failed to score in successive South African Premiership matches for the first time this season when held 0-0 at lowly Swallows on Sunday.
The draw in windy Soweto followed a similar scoreline when they hosted fifth-placed Cape Town City in Pretoria five days ago.
Queried about the sudden lack of goals, Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena responded that "you cannot always get everything you want from a football match.
"We failed to score in two matches, and that is disappointing, but we did not concede any goals either and clean sheets are very welcome."
Sundowns, who clinched a sixth straight league title last weekend, have failed to score in just three of 25 Premiership matches during this campaign.
The first time they failed to find the net was last August in matchday two when they suffered a stunning 1-0 home defeat by TS Galaxy.
Sundowns also lost to SuperSport United early in the season, but are now on a 19-match unbeaten run, including 16 victories, to confirm their status as the most powerful South African club.
Long gone are the days when arch rivals and the biggest crowd-pullers, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, dominated the domestic scene.
With five rounds remaining, the two sides and SuperSport have to be content with fighting to finish runners-up and join Sundowns in the 2023-2024 CAF Champions League.
Sundowns have 61 points, Pirates and SuperSport 43 each, Chiefs 41 in the richest African national championship with a 15 million rand ($830,000/755,000 euros) first prize.
Having conceded 15 goals in 12 previous home matches, Swallows opted for an ultra-cautious approach, with the 10 outfield players often no more than 25 metres from their own goal.
But despite the massed defence, Sundowns had clearcut chances with the 11-goal leading Premiership scorer Peter Shalulile twice blazing over from close range.
It did not help Namibia captain Shalulile that many crosses, particularly from the right wing, were overhit.
On Saturday, Pirates won 2-0 at relegation-threatened Chippa United and Chiefs surrendered an early lead to draw 1-1 against visiting strugglers Marumo Gallants.