Orlando Pirates will start their defence of the MTN8 title at home against Durban City on Saturday, 8 August, with a victory taking them level with Kaizer Chiefs as the competition’s most successful club.
The match will be played at Orlando Amstel Arena, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00.
The 2026 MTN8 begins on Wednesday and retains the format used in recent years, with the team finishing top of the league facing the side that ends the season in eighth place.
Pirates earned their place at the top of the draw after winning the Betway Premiership last season. That success secured a quarter-final meeting with Durban City, who are managed by Khalil Ben Youssef.
The Soweto club have dominated the competition in recent seasons, winning four successive MTN8 titles between 2022 and 2025. Those victories came under two different coaches.
Jose Riveiro led Pirates to three of those trophies before departing after three seasons. His successor, Abdeslam Ouaddou, then won the competition during his first campaign in charge.
Pirates’ record since the start of their 2022 MTN8 campaign underlines their consistency. They have played 16 matches, winning 10, drawing five and losing only once.
That sole defeat came against Stellenbosch FC in the second leg of the semi-final in 2023. Pirates had won the opening match 2-1 away from home, but lost the return fixture 1-0 to Stellenbosch FC on 24 September.
Despite that result, Pirates reached the final on the away-goal rule. It remains their only defeat in the competition since 2022, a run which has also delivered four consecutive titles.
With 14 MTN8 trophies, Pirates are currently the second-most successful club in the tournament’s history. Kaizer Chiefs hold the record with 15, meaning Pirates can draw level with their arch-rivals by winning this year’s competition.
The possibility of matching that long-standing mark adds further importance to Ouaddou’s second MTN8 campaign with the club. Pirates will first need to overcome Durban City, however, as they begin their route through the knockout competition on home soil.
The 2026 tournament will follow the established eight-team structure, with the league’s top finishers drawn against the teams placed eighth. Pirates’ meeting with Durban City is therefore the opening step in their attempt to extend their recent dominance and claim a fifth successive MTN8 crown.
Related coverage includes Kaizer Chiefs showing L’vovo support during his visit to Naturena, while Stellenbosch FC have unveiled a Kaizer Chiefs defender.
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