Chaine, Titus only ever-present players for the season

Only two players completed an ever-present season in the Betway Premiership, having started every one of their club’s matches in this league campaign.

Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine and Stellenbosch flyer Devin Titus were the only players to have started every league fixture for their clubs.

Chaine, who also set a record for 21 clean sheets in the season, played every minute of Pirates’ league-winning campaign for a total of 45 hours (2 700 minutes) while Titus was taken off 19 times in his 30 starts.

Pirates’ attacker Oswin Appollis, Polokwane City’s Bonginkosi Dlamini and Tashreeq Matthews from Mamelodi Sundowns were the only other players to feature in all 30 of their team’s league matches this season.

Appollis and Dlamini started 24 and came on as substitutes in the other six while Matthews had 23 starts and seven substitute appearances.

Stellenbosch goalkeeper Sage Stephens was on course to play every minute of the season for his side but after 28 matches picked up a fourth yellow card and had to sit out the penultimate match of the campaign against Orbit College. He finished with 29 starts, as did fellow goalkeepers Ricardo Goss (Siwelele) and Ronwen Williams (Sundowns).

At the beginning of the season, Polokwane City centre back Lebohang Nkaki had completed two successive Betway Premiership campaigns without missing a league game in a remarkable record of consistency.

The 32-year-old Nkaki had played 59 successive league matches in Polokwane City’s first two seasons after promotion in 2023 and then added a further 19 league games in a row for them this term for a total of 78 successive games before injury kept him out in March and ended his impressive run.

It is the first time a player has ever been present for two successive league seasons since Ronwen Williams had 30 starts in goal for SuperSport United in both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 campaigns.

Williams played 90 successive league matches for SuperSport United from March 2018 to April 2021.

Started all league games

2025-26: Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates), Devin Titus (Stellenbosch)

2024-25: Darren Keet (Cape Town City, 28 regular season games, missed one in playoffs); Lebohang Nkaki (Polokwane City, 29 games) *Royal AM’s expulsion meant some clubs played 29 games and others 28.

2023-24: MacBeth Mahlangu, Pogisho Sanoka (both TS Galaxy); Lebohang Nkaki (Polokwane City)

2022-23: Daniel Cardoso (Sekhukhune United); Given Msimango (TS Galaxy) 

2021-22: Riaan Hanamub (Chippa United); Peter Shalulile (Mamelodi Sundowns)

2020-21: Sifiso Mlungwana (Lamontville Golden Arrows)

2019-20: Siyethemba Sithebe (AmaZulu); Peter Shalulile (Highlands Park); Daniel Cardoso (Kaizer Chiefs); Ntsako Makhubela, Trevor Mathiane (both Lamontville Golden Arrows); Rushine de Reuck (Maritzburg United); Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United)

2018-19: Luckyboy Mokwena (Highlands Park); Richard Ofori (Maritzburg United); Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United)