There are four intriguing ties in the MTN8 quarterfinals this weekend, with plenty of sideshows to keep an eye on as the eight teams push for a semifinal place.
We take a look at the statistics ahead of the matches with the giant carrot of an R8-million first prize on offer for this year’s champions.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS VS MOROKA SWALLOWS
Saturday, August 12 at 15h00 - Lucas Moripe Stadium
Quite remarkably these two sides have only met once before in the MTN8 competition and it was a cracking two-legged semifinal tie in the 2012/13 season.
The first match ended in a 3-3 draw before Swallows edged the second 3-2 to earn a place in the final, where they beat SuperSport United.
The fixture pits Swallows coach Steve Komphela against the club he left just a few weeks ago, and where he had enjoyed great success as part of the backroom staff. His desire to be a head coach again prompted his move to Swallows, but he will know the inner workings of Sundowns better than anyone outside the club.
In the same boat is midfielder Andile Jali, who has just ended five years at Sundowns to move to Swallows and link up again with his mentor Komphela. He will certainly have a point to prove after being barely used at Chloorkop last season.
The teams have met on 78 occasions in all competitions since the 1985 season with Sundowns leading the head-to-head 33-22. They have also had 23 draws. Sundowns have also outscored their opponents 114-83.
Sundowns have enjoyed tremendous success in the last decade but have found MTN8 title wins hard to come by. They were victorious when they beat Cape Town City on penalties in the 2021 final, but that is their only title win since 2007.
There have been six meetings between the clubs since Swallows were promoted back to the topflight for the 2020/21 season. Sundowns have won three of those (two at home) and there have been three draws. Two of those draws ended 0-0, including last season.
Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile does enjoy playing Swallows, he got a hattrick against them in April 2022 and another goal in the fixture before that. But then there are not many teams he does not fancy facing.
Sundowns have won the MTN8 competition four times in their history, while Swallows have three titles. The latter made the semifinals the last time they competed in 2021, though lost to Cape Town City, who Sundowns beat in the final.
Swallows earned their place in the MTN8 at the end of last season when they won their final four DStv Premiership games to sneak into the top half of the table.
ORLANDO PIRATES VS SEKHUKHUNE UNITED
Saturday, August 12 at 18h00 - Orlando Stadium
Sekhukhune United are making their debut in the MTN8 this season so this is a first meeting between the sides in the competition. But they do have some recent cup history to recall.
The teams contested the final of the Nedbank Cup on May 27, which Orlando Pirates won 2-1 with a late winner from Terrence Dzvukamanja. Sibusiso Vilakazi had put Sekhukhune in front, but Tapelo Xoki equalised from the penalty-spot and Dzvukamanja, who has since left for SuperSport United, netted late on to claim a second trophy of the season for Pirates.
Pirates are the defending MTN8 champions after they lifted the trophy last year, immediate success for their then new coach Jose Riveiro.
They beat Royal AM 2-1 in the quarterfinals, before a 0-0 draw with Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of their semifinal. Pirates then turned on the style to win the return 3-0, before beating AmaZulu 1-0 in the decider at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Pirates coach Riveiro has in fact not lost a knockout match in South African football. His record reads played nine, won seven and drawn two.
Pirates winger Monnapule Saleng had a superb 2022 MTN8 and was named the Last Man Standing at the end of season PSL awards. He scored three goals, including the winner in the final and was instrumental in The Buccaneers’ success.
Pirates qualified for the MTN8 by finishing second last season, though they were a full 16 points behind DStv Premiership winners Sundowns.
Sekhukhune finished seventh in what was their second campaign in the DStv Premiership, an excellent result after they had struggled in the early part of the season. The arrival of coach Brandon Truter changed their fortunes for the better.
The teams have met on five occasions over the past two seasons since Sekhukhune’s promotion to the topflight. Pirates have three wins in that time and Sekhukhune one, with a single draw.
It has been feast or famine for Pirates in the MTN8 in their previous nine appearances in the competition. They have gone out in the quarterfinals in five of those years and reached the final in the other four. They have claimed title victories in two of the last three years, and lost the 2013 and 2014 finals.
Pirates have reached eight finals since the MTN8 competition was restored to the PSL calendar in the 2000/01 season, more than any club. They have won five of those to go with three defeats.
CAPE TOWN CITY VS KAIZER CHIEFS
Sunday, August 13 at 15h00 - Athlone Stadium
This will be the second meeting between the sides in the MTN8, the first coming in City’s maiden season in the topflight after their purchase of Mpumalanga Black Aces’ status. Australian Matt Sim scored the only goal in a 1-0 quarterfinal win on that occasion.
The teams also met in the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals in 2018/19 with Chiefs 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Pule Ekstein and Dumisani Zuma, while a Telkom Knockout tie the following season ended 1-1. Chiefs won 4-2 on penalties.
Current Chiefs defender Edmilson Dove was in the City side that day and scored in the penalty shoot-out for the Mother City team. He joined the AmaKhosi ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
City’s record goalscorer Mdu Mdantsane (21 goals for the club) has also recently made the move to Chiefs and could line up against his former employers.
The teams have clashed in 17 previous matches in all competitions (14 in the league) and it is honours even in that time with seven wins each to go with only three draws. Chiefs have outscored their opponents 22-17.
Chiefs have not won a trophy of any kind since they lifted the league title at the end of the 2014/15 season. It is the longest barren run in the club’s illustrious history.
Chiefs may be the most successful team in the MTN8 competition with 15 wins, but the last time they tasted success in this competition was in 2014. That is also the longest they have gone without lifting the top eight since the competition was first played in 1972.
Their last final appearance was in 2015 when they lost to Ajax Cape Town in the decider.
Since then they have exited in the quarterfinals on three occasions and been to the semifinals three times as well, including last season when they lost to AmaZulu. They did qualify for the MTN8 at all in 2019/20.
City have appeared in every MTN8 competition since the club was formed in 2016. They were beaten finalists in 2017 but returned to the decider to lift the trophy the following year. They reached the final again in 2021 but lost on penalties to Mamelodi Sundowns. Last year they were also ousted in the quarters by AmaZulu.
City coach Eric Tinkler was in charge of SuperSport United when they beat his current club in the 2017 MTN8 final.
SUPERSPORT UNITED VS STELLENBOSCH FC
Sunday, August 13 at 18h00 - Peter Mokaba Stadium
This will be the first meeting between these two sides in any cup competition, let alone the MTN8.
SuperSport are three-time winners of the competition and have appeared in seven finals in all. That includes a run of three finals in a row between 2017 and 2019, where they won the first and third of those, but lost to Cape Town City on penalties in the middle one.
They were also winners under coach Pitso Mosimane in 2004, but have lost finals in 2005, 2006, 2012 and 2018.
Stellenbosch are playing in the MTN8 for the second season in a row having debuted in 2022. They hosted Kaizer Chiefs in the quarterfinals on that occasion but lost on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
The teams have met eight times in the four seasons since Stellenbosch’s promotion to the DStv Premiership. SuperSport have three wins to one for Stellies and four draws. Three of those draws have been at SuperSport, while the last two of those ended goalless.
There have not been too many goals between these sides, only nine scored by either team in the eight games, an average a shade over one per match.
SuperSport record goal-scorer Bradley Grobler has netted in each of the last two seasons against Stellies and clearly enjoys playing against them.
Both of Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker’s previous matches in the MTN8 were against Kaizer Chiefs and both ultimately ended in his team being eliminated. The first was with University of Pretoria in 2013 as AmaTuks lost 3-0 in the quarterfinals. The second was when Stellies hosted Chiefs in the quarterfinals last season.
SuperSport coach Gavin Hunt’s only ever triumph in the MTN8 came in the 2016 final when his BidVest Wits side brushed aside Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 to lift the trophy. But it has mostly been a difficult competition for him. He has taken charge of 42 games in the MTN8 and won only 16, a poor return for a coach who has been one of the best of his generation in the last two decades.
SuperSport have yet to concede a goal this season with a 2-0 win versus Richards Bay and a 0-0 draw against AmaZulu in the league. Stellenbosch beat Orlando Pirates 1-0 but then lost by the same scoreline to Polokwane City in their second game.