Eight-ball

Mamelodi Sundowns were pretty hopeless in the MTN8 before lifting the trophy in 2021, but even then they needed five penalty saves from heroic goalkeeper Denis Onyango in the final shoot-out against Cape Town City to end up victorious.

Sundowns, for all their other success, went 14 years without taking home what is widely regarded as the easiest of the domestic trophies to win, in large part to due to their traditional slow starts to new seasons, especially under former coach Pitso Mosimane.

They have in fact now won the trophy only twice in the Premier Soccer League era, despite reaching the final on six occasions in that time.

SuperSport were winners in 2017 and 2019 as they reached three finals in a row, but those heady days are long gone and they are now a side relying on youth as they battle to make ends meet.

They have sold the family silver in the form of Teboho Mokoena and Sipho Mbule, who will now potentially line up against them in the