Sundowns End Pirates’ MTN8 Dominance With 2-0 Final Victory

Mamelodi Sundowns ended Orlando Pirates’ four-year reign as MTN8 champions with a convincing 2-0 victory in Saturday’s final at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

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Goals from Teboho Mokoena and Iqraam Rayners secured the Brazilians their first MTN8 title since 2021 and fifth overall, denying the Buccaneers an unprecedented fifth consecutive triumph.

Sundowns made the perfect start when Mokoena opened the scoring in the 11th minute, reacting quickest to a loose ball following a clever flick from Thabang Matuludi to fire past Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine.

Miguel Cardoso’s men continued to threaten throughout the first half, with Chaine producing important saves to keep Pirates within touching distance.

However, the defining moment arrived shortly after the hour mark when Pirates were awarded a penalty following Mokoena’s challenge on Yanela Mbuthuma.

Ghampani Lungu stepped up with a golden opportunity to equalise, but Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Ronwen Williams produced a superb save to preserve Sundowns’ advantage.

The Buccaneers continued searching for a way back into the contest, but Williams and the Sundowns defence stood firm before substitute Rayners converted a stoppage-time penalty to seal the victory.

The result marked Cardoso’s first domestic cup as Sundowns coach and brought an end to Pirates’ remarkable MTN8 winning streak, which stretched back to 2022.

Sundowns also walked away with the R10 million winners’ prize, adding another piece of silverware to their collection and sending a statement to their domestic rivals early in the 2026/27 season.

For Pirates, the defeat represents a painful missed opportunity to make history. For Sundowns, it signals a triumphant return to the top of South African knockout football.