Football

Who is the one legendary South African coach not to lift the MTN8 since 2008?

Manqoba Mngqithi was the first to claim two titles, having led Lamontville Golden Arrows to a sensational 6-0 win over Ajax Cape Town in the 2009 final. Twelve years later, he and co-coach Rulani Mokwena guided Mamelodi Sundowns to a penalty shoot-out victory over Cape Town City.

But that feat has since been surpassed by Spaniard Jose Riveiro, who led Orlando Pirates to a hat-trick of titles between 2022 and 2024.

His successor, Abdeslam Ouaddou, maintained that momentum by winning the competition with Pirates last year. They head into the 2026 edition seeking an unprecedented fifth consecutive title and a sixth in seven years.

There are several other coaches desperate to add their names to the winners’ list, not least new Kaizer Chiefs tactician Fernando Da Cruz and Sundowns’ Miguel Cardoso.

Some of the leading names in South African football have guided teams to the title, but there is perhaps one major absentee from the list. Pitso Mosimane was never able to lift the trophy with Sundowns, despite the enormous success he enjoyed with the club.

He did lift the top eight cup when it was known as the SAA Super 8 in 2004 but would have expected more in his illustrious career.

For the rest, the list of winning coaches reads like a who’s who of South African football over the past two decades.

Muhsin Ertugral (Kaizer Chiefs, 2008), Ruud Krol (Orlando Pirates, 2010), Stuart Baxter (Kaizer Chiefs, 2014), Roger de Sa (Ajax Cape Town, 2015), Gavin Hunt (Bidvest Wits, 2016), Eric Tinkler (SuperSport United, 2017), Benni McCarthy (Cape Town City, 2018) and Josef Zinnbauer (Orlando Pirates, 2020) are among the notable names.

There have also been several coaches who made their name in the competition. Allan Freese took Platinum Stars to the title in 2013, while Zeca Marques was a winner with Moroka Swallows the previous year.

Things did not really work out for Kaitano Tembo at SuperSport United, but he was an MTN8 winner in 2019, while Brazilian Julio Cesar Leal lifted the trophy with Pirates in 2011.

Over the previous 18 seasons, the trophy has been lifted by eight local coaches and 10 foreign tacticians.

Of the coaches involved in this year’s competition, only Ouaddou has won it before.

Aside from Cardoso and Da Cruz, Cedric Kaze (Durban City), Arthur Zwane (AmaZulu), Khalil Ben Youssef (Sekhukhune United), Willy Moloto (Polokwane City) and Pitso Dladla (Lamontville Golden Arrows) are all hoping for first-time success.

Pirates host Durban City in the first quarter-final on Saturday, while Sundowns welcome Polokwane City later that evening.

Sekhukhune United travel to AmaZulu on Sunday, before Chiefs host Golden Arrows later in the day.

MTN8 WINNING COACHES

2008 – Muhsin Ertugral (Kaizer Chiefs)

2009 – Manqoba Mngqithi (Lamontville Golden Arrows)

2010 – Ruud Krol (Orlando Pirates)

2011 – Julio Cesar Leal (Orlando Pirates)

2012 – Zeca Marques (Moroka Swallows)

2013 – Allan Freese (Platinum Stars)

2014 – Stuart Baxter (Kaizer Chiefs)

2015 – Roger de Sa (Ajax Cape Town)

2016 – Gavin Hunt (BidVest Wits)