The Nedbank Cup is a chance for clubs to close the season with a special piece of silverware that has been contested since 1971, writes Nick Said.
The Nedbank Cup is South Africa’s oldest current knockout competition and carries much prestige for competing teams.
The Soweto duo of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, winning between them 23 of the 52 tournaments played, a little under half of them.
It is the only competition in the local game where amateur players get to rub shoulders with the elite, with the 16 teams in the Betway Premiership, eight from the Motsepe Foundation Championship and eight from the SAFA ranks, the third and fourth tiers of local football.
Orlando Pirates are the reigning champions having claimed back-toback titles and may well be the team to beat again.
The Last 32 will kick-off this month, with the final to be played unusually early on 10 May, likely to avoid conflict in dates with the Champions League and Confederation Cup finals.
It is a four month slog to the end with teams needing to win five ties to be crowned champions, and plenty of David vs Goliath clashes down the years that have become folklore on the local game.
RIVEIRO MAGIC
Orlando Pirates coach José Riveiro has yet to taste defeat in the Nedbank Cup since he arrived in local football at the start of the 2022/23 season.
Pirates have won the last two editions of the Nedbank Cup having beaten Sekhukhune United 2–1 in the 2023 final, and then Mamelodi Sundowns by the same scoreline in 2024.
“(Retaining the Nedbank Cup) is very important because it is South Africa’s top cup. The Nedbank Cup is an important trophy and every team who participates in the competition wants to go to the final at least,” Riveiro said.
He has won all 10 ties in the competition so far, nine of them outright and one via penalties.
WINNING COACHES
Lifting South Africa’s FA Cup is an honour for any coach, but only a few have done it multiple times and just two have a hat-trick of titles.
Stuart Baxter won the title with Kaizer Chiefs in 2023 and then went back-to-back with SuperSport United in 2016 and 2017.
Pitso Mosimane was a champion with SuperSport in 2005, and then with Mamelodi Sundowns in 2015 and 2020. Orlando Pirates’ Jose Riveiro has the chance to join them on three wins in 2025.
LEADING SCORERS SINCE 2008
10 GOALS – NYASHA MUSHEKWI
CLUB: Mamelodi Sundowns
Mushekwi scored an incredible 10 goals in the 2012 Nedbank Cup season, the most by any player in a single campaign. The Zimbabwean forward netted six times in the 24–0 victory over Powerlines FC and got two more in a 2–0 Last 16 victory over BidVest Wits. He got one more each in the quarterfinals and semifinals, but Sundowns were beaten in the decider by city rivals SuperSport United.
10 GOALS – THEMBINKOSI LORCH
CLUBS: Maluti FET College, Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns
Lorch has recently moved to Mamelodi Sundowns and has three goals on the way to helping the side into the final against old club Pirates. He netted three times in helping The Buccaneers to the title in 2023. His first Nedbank Cup goals came all the way back in 2015 in the colours of Maluti FET College – a brace in a 2–1 a way win at African Warriors.
10 GOALS – IQRAAM RAYNERS
CLUBS: Santos, SuperSport United, Stellenbosch FC
Rayners was top scorer in the 2023 edition of the Nedbank Cup with six goals in four appearances as Stellenbosch FC made the semifinals. His first Nedbank Cup goal was a winner for Cape Town club Santos against Mthatha Bucks in 2016, before he scored one each for Stellenbosch FC, in his first spell, and SuperSport United.
11 GOALS – KERMIT ERASMUS
CLUBS: SuperSport United, Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns
Erasmus’ first in the competition came for SuperSport United in their 3–1 win over Lamontville Golden Arrows in the Last 32 in 2011 and he netted three in all for Matsatsantsa, including in the 2012 final as they lifted the trophy. He moved on to Pirates and scored three for them in the 2014 campaign as they defeated BidVest Wits 3–1 in the final, with Erasmus on the scoresheet twice. After a spell in France he signed for Mamelodi Sundowns and last year got a brace as they thumped Summerfield Dynamos 5–0 in the quarterfinals on their way to lifting the trophy. He then returned to Pirates and netted twice as they won the 2023 edition to take his tally to 11.
11 GOALS – HLOMPHO KEKANA
CLUB: Mamelodi Sundowns
Kekana made hay in the 24–0 success against Powerlines FC, netting seven goals in that game alone, but had to wait three years for his next strike in the 3–1 win over Platinum Stars in 2015. He scored two more for the club in 2018 and got his final Nedbank Cup goal in a 4–1 success against Orlando Pirates in 2021.
14 GOALS – PETER SHALULILE
CLUBS: Highlands Park, Mamelodi Sundowns
The most lethal marksman in the competition, Shalulile has raced to 14 Nedbank Cup goals in just four seasons and might have had many more had he not been rested by Mamelodi Sundowns in a succession of games against minnows. His first Nedbank Cup goals came for Highlands Park against Uthongathi in 2019 when he got a brace and then one more that year versus Kaizer Chiefs. He moved to Sundowns the following season and scored four times in the competition. He only played three times in 2022 as Sundowns romped to the title but scored against Richards Bay and in the final versus Marumo Gallants to take his overall tally to nine. He moved ahead in the all-time rankings with five goals in 2023, a hattrick against Marumo Gallants and two more versus Richards Bay.
