Three Pirates Stars Make MTN8 History

Vincent Pule, Thabang Monare and Siyabonga Mpontshane made history when Orlando Pirates beat Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 final on Saturday.

It was the trio’s fourth MTN8 silverware in their careers, more than any other player since the telecommunication took over in 2008, having won it three times with Pirates in the last four seasons.

Mpontshane, who was on the stand when Pirates beat Sundowns on penalty shootouts at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, firstly won this cup when Allan Freese’s Platinum Stars beat the Bucs also on penalty shootouts in the 2013/14 season at the Durban venue, winning, just like Pirates beat Sundowns 3-1, after the game had finished 1-1 in extra time.

As he made plenty of saves on that day in the rainy-soaked afternoon in Durban, Pirates quickly signed the 37-year-old in the second half of the following season.

Pule, who was also in the stands at the 2010 World Cup iconic venue on Saturday, along with Monare – both won this cup for the first time under Gavin Hunt with Bidvest Wits in the 2016/17 season, crushing Pitso Mosimane’s Sundowns 3-0 in a what was a blitz of attack at Mbombela Stadium.

Erasmus closes in on Yeye record

Meanwhile, Kermit Erasmus became the first player to win this cup three times in the row and all won in Durban. He is now also just one final shy to join Reneilwe Letsholonyane, who played in seven MTN8 finals.

Erasmus played five of those in Durban and one at the venue he now calls home – Orlando Stadium, when he was at SuperSport United and lost to Moroka Swallows in 2012/13. He also lost in 2013/14 with Pirates to Platinum Stars on penalties and the following season with the Buccaneers to Kaizer Chiefs, making it a hat-trick of lost finals.

Letsholonyane’s first final was in the 2008/09 season, when Chiefs beat Sundowns on penalty shootouts where the dreadlocked-midfielder scored the winning penalty at Hollywood Bets Kings Park Stadium – the venue that is stone thrown away at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.    

However, the now AmaZulu DStv Diski Challenge coach lost in four finals – in 2011/12 and 2015/16 with Chiefs, in 2018/19 with with SuperSport and in 2019/20 with Highlands Park.

Having won it in the 2008/09 season with Amakhosi, he added two more: in 2014/15 with Chiefs and in 2017/18 with SuperSport.