Richards Bay, home to Kenyan international Ovella Ochieng’, joined an elite group of three other clubs who have kept 10+ clean sheets at the halfway stage of a 30-game season.They joined Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Bidvest Wits after keeping 10 clean sheets in the first 15 matches of the 2022/23 campaign.Apart from that, they became the first newly promoted side in PSL history to keep 10 clean sheets at the half-way stage of a 30-game season.10+ – Richards Bay are the first newly promoted side in PSL history to keep 10 clean sheets at the half-way stage of a 30-game season, while Sundowns’ 11 shutouts at this stage is bettered only by 2003/04 Chiefs & 2021/22 Sundowns. Roadblocks. #DStvPrem pic.twitter.com/Eo9NV3AB07— OptaJabu (@OptaJabu) January 10, 2023 The former Kariobangi Sharks midfielder signed for Richards Bay back in mid-December after parting ways with Township Rollers from Botswana in August after being deemed surplus to requirements following close to a year with the club but he had to wait until last weekend to make his debut when he came off the bench for the last six minutes.Sundowns have had this rare achievement a record four times, with Kaizer Chiefs and Bidvest Wits doing so one season each.##NAJAVA_MECA_6937472##In the current campaign, Sundowns, home to Kenyan defender Brian Mandela, have played 11 matches without conceding, a performance that has left the top of the table halfway through the campaign with 37 points, 10 more than second-placed Supersport United.This is the third season in a row where they have shut out their opponents that much in the first half of the season. They had 10, 12, and 11 clean sheets in 2020/21, 2021/22, and 2022/23 seasons respectively.Ovella finally makes his debut for Richards Bay in South AfricaChiefs hold the record for the most number of clean sheets held in the first half of the season in that time with 13 in 15 matches in 2003/04 when they went on to win the title.The top tier in South Africa has been having 16 teams since the 2002/03 campaign when the league bought out Qwa Qwa Stars (Free State Stars) and Ria Stars (Polokwane) to reduce fixture congestion.
