Pirates have reached nine finals historically but have only managed to win once, in 2011, which is a surprisingly poor record for a team that has enjoyed much success in other knockout tournaments.
Interestingly, 11 different clubs have won the trophy in the last 12 editions, with the only repeat champions being Mamelodi Sundowns (2015 & 2019), and several so-called underdogs have also found success. Could this be Marumo Gallants’ breakthrough year?
Let’s review the previous winners of the competition.
ARCADIA SHEPHERDS
Title wins (1): 1982
Arcadia became the inaugural champions 41 years ago, defeating Highlands Park 2-0 in a replay after the first final ended 1-1. Vincent Julius and Gerald Julius scored in each half for the Pretoria-based team.
Title wins (1): 1987
Bush Bucks pulled off a remarkable upset against Orlando Pirates in a final played over two legs that required a third replay. Pirates won the first leg 3-1 in Durban, but Bush Bucks responded with a 2-0 win in Orlando. The decider went to a third match, where Bush Bucks triumphed 2-1. They had previously lost the final to Kaizer Chiefs in 1984.
Title wins (1): 1991
The now-defunct Dynamos defeated Giant Blackpool 2-1 in a replay after their initial final ended 2-2. Marks Maponyane scored for Dynamos, while John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu netted for Blackpool.
Title wins (1): 1992
AmaZulu’s sole triumph came in 1992, which also marks the last time they won any trophy. They shocked the heavily favored Kaizer Chiefs 3-1 in the final. At that time, the AmaKhosi were the dominant team nationally, making this upset particularly notable. This remains Usuthu’s only final appearance in this competition.
QWAQWA STARS
Title wins (1): 1994
Later renamed Free State Stars, the club was known as QwaQwa Stars when they won in 1994, beating Hellenic 3-2 in the final. Bunene Ngaduane scored twice and Meshack Tsotetsi netted in the first minute of extra time to secure the victory.
ORLANDO PIRATES
Title wins (1): 2011
Pirates have struggled in this tournament, reaching nine finals but only winning once. Their sole victory came in 2011 when they defeated BidVest Wits 3-1 to finally claim the trophy after many disappointments. Losing eight out of nine finals is a poor record for the proud Soweto team.
BLOEMFONTEIN CELTIC
Title wins (1): 2012
Celtic shocked Mamelodi Sundowns with a 1-0 victory in the 2012 final, thanks to Botswana international Joel Mogorosi who scored the only goal, though there was controversy about whether the ball fully crossed the line. This match led to the dismissal of Dutch coach Johan Neeskens and marked the beginning of Pitso Mosimane’s era at Chloorkop.
Title wins (1): 2014
SuperSport have appeared in four finals but secured just one win, a thrilling 3-2 victory over Platinum Stars in one of South Africa’s most exciting cup finals. They lost finals in 2004, 2005, and 2016.
Title wins (1): 2016
City had only been established for a few months when they won the trophy, defeating SuperSport United 2-1 in the final. This was under current coach Eric Tinkler, who later joined SuperSport at season’s end.
Title wins (1): 2018
Baroka secured a major upset by beating Orlando Pirates on penalties to win the trophy in 2018. The match ended 2-2 after extra time, and the Limpopo club, now in the second division, held their nerve in the shootout.
Title wins (1): 2023
Stellenbosch claimed their first major trophy by edging TS Galaxy on penalties in the final of the newly renamed Carling Knockout during the 2023/24 season. Their appearance in the 2024 MTN8 final demonstrated their upward trajectory as a club.
Title wins (1): 2024
One of the biggest shocks in South African cup history occurred when Magesi overcame Sundowns 2-1 in the 2024 final, despite conceding first in the first half. The spirited Limpopo side rallied in the second half and Delano Abrahams’ late goal three minutes from time proved to be the winner.
UMTATA BUSH BUCKS
Title wins (2): 1993, 1996
The Eastern Cape team won the trophy twice within four years during their peak in the early 1990s. They beat Santos in the 1993 final and then secured a 1-0 replay victory over QwaQwa Stars in 1996 after the first match ended 1-1. William Mugeyi scored the only goal in the second game.
AJAX CAPE TOWN
Title wins (2): 2000, 2008
Now called Cape Town Spurs, the club still had ties with Ajax Amsterdam when they won the trophy twice. They shocked Orlando Pirates 4-1 in a replay after the initial 2000 final ended 1-1. They defeated the Buccaneers again in 2008, this time 2-1, with Mabhuti Khenyeza scoring twice within 16 minutes. Ajax also lost finals in 2006 and 2009.
Title wins (2): 2002, 2005
Cosmos were champions twice in four years, narrowly beating Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 in 2002 after having lost 5-0 to the same opponents in the previous final. They followed up with a penalty shootout victory over SuperSport United in 2005 after a 1-1 draw.
Title wins (2): 2006, 2013
Known as Silver Stars when they first won, they beat Ajax Cape Town 3-1 in the final with Simba Marumo scoring a hat-trick. Seven years later, they repeated the feat by upsetting Pirates 2-1, shortly after winning the MTN8. Stars also lost finals in 2003 (to Kaizer Chiefs) and 2013 (to SuperSport United).
Title wins (3): 1985, 1995, 2017
The club, known simply as Wits University during their first two titles, beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in a replay after the initial two legs ended 2-2 on aggregate. Ten years later, they repeated the feat with a 1-0 win over Orlando Pirates, but had to wait 22 years for their next title, which came with a 1-0 victory over Bloemfontein Celtic in 2017.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Title wins (4): 1990, 1999, 2015, 2019
Sundowns have appeared in nine finals, winning four times for a 44% success rate. Their first came in 1990 with a 2-1 aggregate win over Orlando Pirates, then a 2-0 victory over Free State Stars in 1999. They next triumphed in 2015 by defeating Kaizer Chiefs 3-1, and won again in 2019 with a 2-1 result against Maritzburg United.
KAIZER CHIEFS
Title wins (13): 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010
By far the most successful team in the competition’s history with 13 titles—more than triple the next best. Most of their success came early, winning five of the first eight tournaments, adding two more in the 1990s, and six between 2001 and 2010. They have not won since 2010.
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