MTN8 Tournament 2026

One of the most exciting and eagerly anticipated football tournaments on the South African football calendar is the MTN8. The tournament takes place every year and sees the top eight clubs in the Premier Soccer League go head to head for one of South Africa’s most prestigious domestic knockout trophies. The tournament dates back to 1972, when the first season of the competition took place.

Mobile telecoms giant MTN has sponsored the MTN8 tournament since 2008 and 2026 is no different. The winning team takes home a cool R10 million, while each of the other teams receives R1 million. Kaizer Chiefs still hold the record for the most titles with 15. However, last year’s winning team, Orlando Pirates, could draw level with them this year. Pirates claimed their 14th title after winning last year.

Orlando Pirates’ Recent Dominance

It is impossible to discuss the modern MTN8 without mentioning Orlando Pirates. The Buccaneers have dominated the competition in recent seasons. Their 2025 triumph was particularly significant because it gave them their fourth consecutive MTN8 title, something no previous club had achieved in the history of the competition.

The Quarter-Finals

What sets the MTN8 apart from other football competitions in Mzansi is its straight knockout format. This means that one bad performance can cost a team its place in the tournament.

The eight teams competing to be crowned MTN8 2026 winners are Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs, Golden Arrows, Sekhukhune United, AmaZulu, Polokwane City and Durban City. The PSL determines the quarter-final matchups based on how the teams finished in the league. The team that finishes in 1st place plays the team that finishes 8th, 2nd plays 7th, 3rd plays 6th and 4th plays 5th.

The quarter-finals took place over the weekend of 8 and 9 August. The first round saw none other than Kaizer Chiefs get knocked out of the competition.

Here are the results and matches from the quarter-finals:

Saturday saw Orlando Pirates take on Durban City at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg. Pirates won the match 2-1 after extra time to secure their place in the semi-finals.

The second match on Saturday saw Mamelodi Sundowns take on Polokwane City. Sundowns battled their way through to the semi-finals in a close match that also went into extra time. The final score was 3-2 to Mamelodi Sundowns at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.

Sunday produced the highest-scoring match of the quarter-finals when AmaZulu faced Sekhukhune United. Sekhukhune travelled to Chatsworth Stadium in Durban to take on AmaZulu, with the match ending 4-3 to the team from Limpopo after extra time.

The final quarter-final saw Kaizer Chiefs face Golden Arrows. Golden Arrows travelled to Johannesburg to play at FNB Stadium against the Chiefs, who hold the record for the most MTN8 titles. Arrows proved too strong on the day and secured their semi-final spot with a 1-0 victory after 90 minutes.

Semi-Finals

The semi-finals take place over two legs. Each remaining team plays one match at home and one away. The MTN8 goal away rule is an aggregate score across the two matches which determines who reaches the MTN8 final.

This creates a very different challenge from the quarter-finals. A team can survive a poor first leg and still turn the tie around in the second match.

The semi-final fixtures are Sekhukhune United v Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns v Golden Arrows. The match dates still need to be confirmed.

The MTN8 Final

The final takes place as a single match at a venue selected by the PSL. The date, however, is still unknown.

If the scores remain level after 90 minutes, the teams play extra time. If they remain level after extra time, the winner goes to a penalty shootout.

MTN8 and South African Football Betting

Because only eight teams compete and every match carries knockout consequences, the tournament produces plenty of interesting betting markets.

Popular MTN8 betting markets include:

• Match Result  – The traditional market simply requires bettors to pick the team they think will win.

• Both Teams to Score  – BTTS can prove attractive when two attacking teams meet. However, knockout football can also produce cautious matches, particularly when teams do not want to give their opponents an early advantage.

• Over/Under Goals – Punters can bet on whether a match will produce more or fewer goals than the bookmaker’s selected line. The 2.5-goal market remains one of the most popular football betting options.

• Correct Score – This market requires bettors to predict the exact final score.

10bet sponsors Bafana Bafana as well as the Golden Arrows and have some great promotions as well as markets to have a look at. Also check out Playa Bets, they have a refreshed look and plenty of entertainment. There are a few new licenced bookies to explore which we have listed below for your perusal.

Who might win the 2026 MTN8?

Orlando Pirates have to rank among the favourites to win this season. However, Mamelodi Sundowns will also expect to challenge for the trophy.

On paper, the big clubs might look like the favourites. On the pitch, however, one 90-minute performance can change everything. Thankfully, South African football fans won’t have to wait long to find out which team will win the 2026 MTN8.

As the MTN8 motto says, it is do or die. Wafa Wafa!!