Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango believes clean sheets will play a major role in helping them secure a record fourth league title this season.

The Brazilians finished the first half of the DStv Premiership at the summit of the standings with 33 points, the second best record in the league.

Sundowns managed to find the back of the net 24 times and conceded the least amount of goals in the league with seven.

Onyango has played a crucial role in the club’s success this campaign and has only conceded four goals and kept 10 clean sheets from 14 appearances.

‘The season has turned out to be a good one, as we started badly when we lost in the MTN8. We pulled ourselves together with a few clean sheets, it all started against Kaizer Chiefs. The boys worked very well as they knew the task at hand. We as the goalkeeping department have a challenge that we need to get as many clean sheets as possible as a clean sheet gives you an upper hand. We have conceded seven goals in fifteen games, it looks good and credit to all of the guys because we have been doing well,’ Onyango told his club’s official website.

‘My personal target is to get as many clean sheets as I can, help the team with the fourth league title in a row and become the first team to do that as there is no team that has done that. It is possible to do that but I can’t do it alone, we must do it as a team, sometimes I might not play, but there are other goalkeepers that can also help. I must also make sure that I support them when they play as it is a team effort. The support I get from the keepers is incredible and it pushes me to do better. The season is long, we have Champions League and it won’t be easy but it is the path we chose for ourselves and if we fight we will do well and defend our [Domestic] titles.’

Onyango managed to keep eight clean sheets in 21 league appearances during their treble winning campaign last season.

‘We have a lot of clean sheets in the first half and that is the hard work from the guys. It is not only about saving the ball that comes to the goals but it’s the defence that has been good from the team.

‘We have our target as you know if you keep many clean sheets you stand a chance to win the league. We look forward to the second round of the league, the Champions League and the Nedbank Cup.’