The MTN8 quarterfinals get under way this weekend with the first two matches on Saturday and Sunday.
It heralds in the start of the new 2024/25 Premier Soccer League season and a first glimpse for fans of their clubs in competitive action.
We take a look at the prospects of the eight sides who qualified for the MTN8 this year, which does not include Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs.
CAPE TOWN CITY
Best finish: Winners (2018)
Quarterfinal opponents: Sekhukhune United (away, August 10)
City have been to three MTN8 finals since 2017, losing that year and in 2021, but claiming the title in 2018. All three of those finals went to penalties. They are not quite the force of old, but coach Eric Tinkler has brought in nine new players, including veteran midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo, who adds some much-needed experience. They are a squad packed with potential, but have underachieved in recent times and lack goals, with no recognised No 9 striker. Can they win the MTN8? Yes, but you feel it will be a hard slog and may require spot-kicks again.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Best finish: Winners (1988, 1990, 2007, 2021)
Quarterfinal opponents: Polokwane City (home, August 11)
You would think Sundowns would be heavy favourites for the MTN8 title, but they have been strugglers in this competition for some time and have a single trophy win in the last 17 years, and only four in their history. To put that in context, Orlando Pirates have won almost that many in the last four years. They should get past Polokwane City in this seasons quarterfinals, which will be the first game of another long campaign for the side, who now have Manqoba Mngqithi back in charge as sole head coach. Their squad is packed with quality, and he will want to set down an early marker in his second stint as head coach. Maybe they will get it right this season.
ORLANDO PIRATES
Best finish: Winners (1972, 1974, 1978, 1983, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2010, 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023)
Quarterfinal opponents: SuperSport United (home, August 3)
Pirates are seeking to become the first club ever to win three MTN8 titles in a row having been back-to-back champions in 2022 and 2023. They have in fact won three of the last four stagings of the competition and have 12 titles overall. In coach Jose Riveiro they have a tactician who has lost only one of 20 knockout games in South African football, which came in the second leg of their MTN8 semifinal last season as they went down 1-0 to Stellenbosch FC, but advanced on the away goals rule. They have not had wholesale changes in their squad but added some interesting players, not least Angolan winger Gilberto. Can anyone stop them making it three in a row?
POLOKWANE CITY
Best finish: Semifinals (2019)
Quarterfinal opponents: Mamelodi Sundowns (away, August 11)
An away quarterfinal at Mamelodi Sundowns suggests City’s prospects are very dim indeed, but they will hope to catch their much more illustrious opponents cold at the start of the campaign. This will be City’s third appearance in the MTN8 after a quarterfinal loss to Cape Town City in 2017 and a semifinal defeat at the hands of Highlands Park in 2019 when both legs finished 0-0 and they went down on penalties. They have much the same squad as last year, though it appears winger Elias Mokwana may be on his way out. Oswin Appollis remains their star man.
SEKHUKHUNE UNITED
Best finish: Quarterfinals (2023)
Quarterfinal opponents: Cape Town City (home, August 10)
Sekhukhune have a new coach in the German Peter Hyballa. This will be his debut in the dugout for the team having coached previously in the likes of the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Austria and Namibia. They have also had a massive overhaul of their squad, making them hard to read in terms of prospects. Often with such a turnover of players it takes some time for everyone to bed in. This will be their second appearance in the MTN8 after a humbling 5-0 loss to Orlando Pirates on debut in 2023. They finished level with quarterfinal opponents Cape Town City last season on 45 points and with identical records (W12 D9 L9). Sekhukhune finished above City on goal-difference (+7 v +6), but City scored one more goal in the campaign (32 v 31).
STELLENBOSCH FC
Best finish: Semifinals (2023)
Quarterfinal opponents: TS Galaxy (home, August 4)
Stellenbosch are coming off the best season in their short history and having made the semifinals of the MTN8 last year, where they narrowly lost on away goals to eventual winners Orlando Pirates, will have high hopes for this campaign. This is especially so as they have what looks a gentle quarterfinal draw at home to TS Galaxy, who have never beaten Stellies in 10 previous meetings and have been poor on the road in recent seasons. Stellies also reached the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup last season, losing to Mamelodi Sundowns, and won the Carling Knockout, beating Galaxy in the final, so are a well-oiled cup machine with minimal changes to their successful squad of last term.
SUPERSPORT UNITED
Best finish: Winners (2004, 2017, 2019)
Quarterfinal opponents: Orlando Pirates (away, August 3)
SuperSport have exited in the quarterfinals in the last three seasons so will want to change that trend this term. In fact, since 2009 they have lost in the opening stage 10 times to go with four final appearances and one semifinal exit. So it is a case of feast or famine for the team in the MTN8. 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 43 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.
TS GALAXY
Best finish: Debut
Quarterfinal opponents: Stellenbosch FC (away, August 4)
Galaxy will debut in the top eight competition after a record high sixth-placed finish in the last Premiership season. There is no doubt they have made rapid strides under coach Sead Ramovic, who had looked set to leave the club for north Africa ahead of the season, but now appears to be staying. But they really battled on the road last term and this will be another huge test for them. They did reach the Carling Knockout final in 2023 and played to a 1-1 draw with MTN8 quarterfinal opponents Stellenbosch but lost in a post-match penalty shoot-out. Galaxy had penalties in three of their four ties in the Carling Knockout last term.