Tashreeq Matthews extends remarkable Mamelodi Sundowns run to 71 games

Tashreeq Matthews has made 71 consecutive appearances for Mamelodi Sundowns, surpassing the club’s previous benchmark for reliability set by former Bafana Bafana defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele.

The 25-year-old’s remarkable run began after Sundowns’ CAF Champions League quarter-final second leg against Esperance in Tunisia on 8 April 2025. That match finished 0-0 and remains the last competitive fixture the attacker has missed for the Tshwane club.

Matthews has since been involved in every Sundowns matchday squad, moving 21 games beyond Mphahlele’s previous record of 50 consecutive starts.

Mphahlele established that mark in 2015, when his run was regarded as a notable example of his consistency and importance to the team. Matthews has now gone significantly further, despite Sundowns operating through one of the most demanding schedules in African football.

The Cape Town-born attacker joined Mamelodi Sundowns in February 2024 following his spell with Swedish club IK Sirius. His availability has become increasingly valuable as the Brazilians have balanced domestic commitments with an extensive continental programme.

Sundowns’ 2025/26 campaign included 30 Betway Premiership matches, 14 CAF Champions League fixtures, three FIFA Club World Cup games and five MTN8 matches, alongside other domestic cup ties. Matthews featured extensively across those competitions.

According to FootballDatabase, he made 48 appearances in all competitions during the 2025/26 season. His overall sequence of consecutive match appearances has now reached 71.

The scale of the achievement is underlined by the range and frequency of Sundowns’ fixtures. Their CAF Champions League campaign required travel across Africa, while the domestic calendar regularly brought matches in midweek as well as at weekends.

Sundowns also reached the CAF Champions League final for a second successive season in 2026, adding further demands to a campaign in which Matthews remained consistently available.

The record refers to appearances rather than consecutive starts. Matthews has been introduced as a substitute during the sequence, meaning the achievement reflects his involvement in every game and his continued availability to Sundowns’ matchday squad, rather than 71 uninterrupted starts.

With the 2026/27 season already under way, Matthews has the opportunity to extend the record still further. His current streak has taken him well beyond Mphahlele’s former Sundowns mark and established a new standard for consecutive appearances at the club.