HERMAN GIBBS
Defending champions Orlando Pirates will enjoy the pride of place by hosting the new season’s opening MTN8 fixture at the Orlando Stadium next Saturday evening.
Pirates are the most successful team in the history of the MTN8 era after they won the trophy for a record eighth time last season. Kaizer Chiefs, who will be conspicuously absent from this season's event, are second-most successful with four wins.
Strangely, the country’s dominant club over the past decade, Mamelodi Sundowns, have only won the trophy twice. The ‘big three’ clubs had substantially more championship wins when the event was known as the BP Top 8 and the SAA Supa 8.
Next Saturday, Pirates will host SuperSport United, who have upstaged the big three in recent years after winning the competition in 2018 and 2020. However, those winning coaches Kaitano Tembo (2020) and Eric Tinkler (2018) are no longer around and Gavin Hunt, one of the PSL’s most successful coaches, is at the helm at SuperSport nowadays.
Hunt does, however, feature on the MTN8 roll of honour because he won the title with the now-defunct Bidvest Wits in 2016.
It will be the second time since 2018 that Pirates and Gauteng rivals SuperSport clash in the opening quarter-final round. On that occasion, Pirates bowed out via a penalty shoot-out, following a thrilling encounter that ended at two goals apiece.
Pirates seem well-prepared for the new season after concluding their pre-season tour in Spain last week with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Qatari champions Al-Sadd. In the other three matches, against European opponents, they claimed two draws and a victory.
SuperSport have prepared equally well with three friendlies in neighbouring Botswana. They won all three matches.
A big talking point on Saturday will be Pirates reject Vincent Pule playing against his former club.
After six seasons with the club, Pirates terminated Pule’s contract a few weeks ago. He was deemed surplus to requirements by coach Jose Riveiro.
Hunt, who convinced the 32-year-old to join his team, said: “In terms of athleticism he can still run, he’s got good legs, pace, good delivery on the ball, strikes the ball well, can play multiple positions, which is important for us.”
A day after the opening clash, the spotlight will fall on the Danie Craven Stadium, in Stellenbosch. where Stellenbosch FC will host TS Galaxy in the second quarter-final encounter.
Stellies qualified for the top-eight tournament after they ended third in the league last season. Galaxy ended sixth.
Last season, coach Steve Barker’s Stellenbosch side reached the MTN8 semi-final but fell agonizingly short of a final berth after their clash against Pirates ended 2-2 on aggregate and Pirates advanced on the away goals rule.
In the remaining quarter-finals, Sekhukhune United will face Cape Town City on Saturday, August 10, while Sundowns will round off the action against Polokwane City the next day.