Back-to-back success for Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup over successive seasons is an achievement of some distinction but not without precedence in the history of South African football.
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Pirates’ archrivals Kaizer Chefs won the same two trophies in 1981 – when they were known by different titles because of different sponsors – and in 1982, when they added a third cup success for good measure.
But while Chiefs can still claim to be cup kings, although it is a moniker fast eroding after nine successive seasons without any silverware, it was their rivals Pirates who set the tone early on.
For four successive seasons, Pirates won two trophies or more in the formative days of professional soccer in the country under the auspices of the National Professional Soccer League.
Then there were three domestic cup competitions – the Top Eight Cup, the Champion of Champions and the National Cup, known by its sponsor's name as the Life Challenge Cup.
The Top Eight was the forerunner to today’s MTN8 and the National Cup has been through many sponsors but is today’s Nedbank Cup.
CUP DOUBLE
In 1972, Pirates won two cup trophies – the Top Eight and the Champions of Champions and the next season were not only league champions, but also did the cup double of the Champions of Champions and the Life Challenge Cup, where they thrashed Zulu Royals 5-2 in the final.
Then in 1974, Pirates won three cups – the Top Eight, the Champions of Champions and Life Challenge Cup, where Jomo Sono scored the only goal of the final against AmaZulu.
The silverware haul continued to 1975 where Pirates won the Champions of Champions and the Life Challenge Cup, where they edged Chiefs 2-1 after extra time in the final courtesy of a winner from Webster Lichaba.
Chiefs began their back-to-back trophy haul with the Champions of Champions title in 1976 and the National Cup, which had changed its sponsors and was known as the Benson & Hedges Cup.
In 1977, they won the Top Eight and retained the Benson & Hedges Cup.
INCLUSION OF CLUBS
One year later, the landscape of the NPSL had changed with the inclusion of clubs from the previously whites-only National Football League but it was Chiefs who then began to dominate the cups.
In 1982, they won the Top Eight and the Mainstay Cup and in 1982 took both trophies again plus the Champion of Champions.
The year 1982 also saw the introduction of the League Cup, first known as the Datsun Challenge and the forerunner of today’s Carling Knockout.
Chiefs also won two trophies back-to-back in the 1986 and 1987 seasons – when the NPSL had been replaced by the National Soccer League - with the Champions of Champions and League Cup in Ted Dumitru’s first season as coach in 1986 and then the Top Eight and Champion of Champions the next year.
When South Africa was allowed back into the international football fold, it was decided to drop the Champion of Champions competition to allow more space on the calendar for international matches.
So, from 1993 onwards, there have been only three cups – the Top Eight, the League Cup and the National Cup.
WINNING THE TREBLE
In the 2010-11 season, Pirates won the MTN8 and the Nedbank Cup on top of taking the league title as well in arguably the best season in club history. Their MTN8 final success came with a penalty shootout victory over Moroka Swallows while they came from a goal down against second division Black Leopards to win the Nedbank Cup, at the Mbombela Stadium.
The next campaign Pirates did the treble again – retaining their MTN8 title by edging Chiefs in the final with an extra time goal by Oupa Manyisa and adding the Telkom Knockout by beating Wits 3-1 in the final in Durban.