Orlando Pirates have enjoyed unprecedented success in the MTN8 in recent years, the likes of which we have never seen before in South African football, and they will be itching to add the 2026 trophy to their cabinet when they face Mamelodi Sundowns in Saturday’s final in Durban.
Pirates have won the last four editions, and five of the previous six, which has seen them pocket plenty of cash in prize-money, and victory on Saturday would draw them level with Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs on the all-time winners list with 15 titles.
No team has ever won any South African cup competition five seasons in a row, though Sundowns can, of course, look back on eight league championships in succession before Pirates pipped them at the post last season to end their extraordinary run.
Pirates have competed in 20 previous finals of the Top Eight competition since it was first played in 1972, winning 14 of those to go with six defeats.
They have won their last five trips to the decider, all coming in the previous six years.
Their clash with Sundowns will therefore be their 21st final in the competition, drawing them level with Chiefs for the most appearances in the lucrative decider.
Chiefs have won 15 of those, though they have not lifted the trophy since 2014.
The pair competed in the very first Top Eight final in 1972, with Pirates winning 3-2.
Pirates are the first side to reach five consecutive finals and since MTN took over sponsorship of the competition in 2008, the Buccaneers have appeared in nine deciders, winning seven of them.
Their only MTN8-era final defeats came in 2013 against Platinum Stars and 2014 against Chiefs.
Pirates’ six final defeats overall were against Chiefs (1974 and 2014), Moroka Swallows (1979), Witbank Black Aces (1980), Mamelodi Sundowns (2007) and Platinum Stars (2013).
Pirates and Sundowns have met in the final twice before: Sundowns won 1-0 in 2007, while the Soweto giants won the 2023 shootout after a 0-0 draw.