nedbank cup

Gv of the trophy during the 2019 Nedbank Cup match between Bidvest Wits and Boyne Tigers at the Bidvest Stadium, Johannesburg on the 23 January 2019 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Most Nedbank Cup title wins by a club

Under its current name, the Nedbank Cup has had six different champions, and a seventh name could be engraved on the trophy should an upset be on the cards on Saturday.

nedbank cup

Gv of the trophy during the 2019 Nedbank Cup match between Bidvest Wits and Boyne Tigers at the Bidvest Stadium, Johannesburg on the 23 January 2019 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

The Nedbank Cup has gone through many changes over the years, since the tournament’s inception in 1971 under a different name.

The competition can be seen as South Africa’s FA Cup as it bears resemblance to the famous UK tournament, which also pits top flight clubs against teams in the lower leagues.

Just as is the case in England, a new champion is set to be crowned on Saturday, as Kaizer Chiefs prepare to take on TS Galaxy at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

The Nedbank Cup has had six different champions under its current name, with the Glamour Boys looking for a repeat, while Galaxy are hoping to be the first lower league side to clinch the title.

The competition over the years

The tournament has been known as the Nedbank Cup for just over a decade after the bank took over the the sponsorship in 2008.

Previously, it was known as the Absa Cup, which ran for five years, with Ajax Cape Town as the last winners before the big change.

The competition started out as the Life Challenge Cup, and has had many name changes, with the Mainstay Cup and the Bob Save Superbowl as its two longest running incarnations.

Kaizer Chiefs won the inaugural edition in 1971 – a year after the club was formed – and remain the competition’s most successful club with 13 titles overall.

However, in the Nedbank Cup era, their 2013 triumph remains their only one to date.

Amakhosi’s Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows are among the most successful since 1971, while the two Tshwane giants Supersport United and Mamelodi Sundowns are not too far from the pack.

There’s also one-hit wonders such as Cape Town Spurs, Vaal Professionals and Bloemfontein Celtic, as well as the reigning champions Free State Stars, who have been relegated from the top flight.

Most wins in the Nedbank Cup

Supersport United: 3 (2012, 2016, 2017)

Orlando Pirates: 2 (2011, 2014)

Mamelodi Sundowns: 2 (2008, 2015)

Bidvest Wits: 1 (2010)

Kaizer Chiefs: 1 (2013)

Moroka Swallows: 1 (2009)

Most wins overall

Kaizer Chiefs: 13 (1971, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1992, 2000, 2006, 2013)

Orlando Pirates: 8 ( 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1988, 1996, 2011, 2014)

Moroka Swallows: 5 (1983, 1989, 1991, 2004, 2009)

Supersport United: 5 (1999, 2005, 2012, 2016, 2017)

Mamelodi Sundowns: 4 (1986, 1998, 2008, 2015)

Bidvest Wits: 2 (1978, 2010)

Santos: 2 (2001, 2003)