Quick guide to the MTN8 quarterfinals

The MTN8 gets under way this weekend with four quarterfinal matches as the eight sides in the competition chase the R8-million first prize.

It is a competition without Kaizer Chiefs this year, and looks a potentially open field with Orlando Pirates struggling for form and Mamelodi Sundowns slow starters to the new campaign.

Supersport.com has a quick guide to the four matches:

CAPE TOWN CITY VS POLOKWANE CITY

Defending champions Cape Town City begin their 2019 campaign in the unfamiliar surroundings of Newlands Stadium as they welcome Polokwane City on Saturday afternoon.

This is a repeat of the 2017 quarterfinal that the Mother City club won 1-0 thanks to an own goal by Polokwane’s Sibusiso Mbonani.

Polokwane have never won in Cape Town, with their four previous visits resulting in three losses and a 0-0 draw last season in the league.

The Cape Town club have never lost in the quarterfinals, reaching the semis in 2016, and the final in 2017 and 2018.

ORLANDO PIRATES VS HIGHLANDS PARK

Highlands are making their debut in the top eight in the current guise of the side, but these teams have clashed once before in cup football as Pirates ran out 2-1 winners in the Telkom Knockout in 2016.

The teams also have four league meetings since Highlands’ promotion for the 2016/17 season, which have all ended in draws!

Zimbabwe international Ndoro is the leading scorer for Pirates in this fixture with three goals, but could line-up on the opposite side having since joined Highlands to bolster their forward line.

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS VS BLOEMFONTEIN CELTIC

This will be the fourth meeting in the MTN8 quarterfinals for these two sides, with Sundowns having claimed two outright wins and Celltic one penalty shoot-out success in 2015 after a 1-1 draw.

Sundowns have enjoyed huge trophy success in recent seasons, but have found the MTN8 a difficult competition to win. Their last success came all the way back in 2007, while they have made the final just twice since then.

Celtic’s six MTN8 appearances between 2007 and 2014 all ended in quarterfinal losses. But they did win the MTN8 competition trophy in 2005, one of three trophy wins for the club in their history.

BIDVEST WITS VS SUPERSPORT UNITED

This will be the fourth time that BidVest Wits and SuperSport United have clashed in the MTN8 competition, but the first since 2015. The teams have a single win each, with the other game drawn, though SuperSport triumphed 6-5 on post-match penalties.

In cup matches in all knockout competitions, there have been nine previous meetings, with four wins for SuperSport and two for Wits. There have also been three draws.

Wits were crowned MTN8 champions in 2016, and have in fact not lost in the quarterfinals since 2011. They have reached the semifinals at least in each of their last five appearances in the competition.

SuperSport have appeared in the last two MTN8 finals, both against Cape Town City. They won on penalties in 2017, but lost in post-match spot-kicks last year. Before that, they had exited in the quarterfinals in seven of their previous eight appearances.

© Mzansi Football