The 53rd edition of the Nedbank Cup (main) kicked off this past weekend, with 10 of 16 games played between Friday and Sunday. 33 goals have been scored so far, at 3.3 goals per game, worth 53 goals when extrapolated over the whole Last 32 stage. For those interested, the PSL record is 69 in 16 games (1998/99), while last season saw 40 goals at this stage. Record or no record, there are many other interesting insights from this round, summarised by the best five stats from the weekend. Enjoy..
On Tshegofatso Mabasa
41 - Tshegofatso Mabasa scored his 41st goal for Orlando Pirates on Sunday (all comps), equalling Phumlani Mkhize and Lesley Manyathela as the joint-second-highest scorer for the club in the PSL era.
Top scorers for Pirates (PSL era):
58 - Tso Vilakazi
41 - Phumlani Mkhize
41 - Manyathela Lesley
41 - Tshegofatso Mabasa
On Sundowns
31 - This was the 31st time Sundowns faced non-top-flight opposition in the national FA Cup (BobSave/ABSA/NedbankCup) - more than any other top-flight side in PSL history. They have progressed in 29 of 31 such clashes by an aggregate score of 97-11 (eliminated by Santos in 1996 & Bloem Celtic in 2003).
Most games played vs. non-top flight sides:
31 - Sundowns (progressed 28 out of 30)
30 - Chiefs (progressed 24 of 30)
23 - Pirates (progressed 21 of 23)
On Chiefs and the biggest winning margins
4-0 - Chiefs 4-0 Free Agents FC is the biggest winning margin in the competition so far, and their biggest as a club since the same stage of the competition in 2015 (4-0 v Edu Sports FC).
Biggest winning margins in the Nedbank Cup/FA Cup:
24-0 Sundowns v Powerlines (2012)
14-0 AmaZulu v Young Obes (2008)
9-0 Pirates v Olympics
9-1 Ajax Cape Towb v Mainstay Utd *2015)
8-0 SuperSport Utd v Tornado (2005)
8-0 Bloem Celtic v Maties (2014)
On the Pirates’ winning streak
8 - Orlando Pirates have won eight consecutive Nedbank Cup games under Jose Riveiro (in regulation time). Only one team in PSL history has gone on a longer winning run.
Longest winning runs in FA Cup history [regulation time wins, excl. pen shootouts]:
13 - Santos (ending 2001)
8 - Chiefs (ending 2014)
8 - Chiefs (ending 2001)
8 - Sundowns (ending 2021)
On the longest unbeaten streaks
13 - Orlando Pirates are now unbeaten in 13 Nedbank Cup games (W1 D1 under Ncikazi/Davids) and (W10 D1 under Jose Riveiro).
Longest unbeaten runs of PSL teams in the FA Cup (BobSave/ABSA/Nedbank Cups):
17 - Santos (2001-2005)
16 - Sundowns (2020-2023)
15 - Orlando Pirates (1996-2000)
13 - Orlando Pirates (2022-2024)
*For record-keeping, a drawn match that ends in a penalty shootout is considered a draw, while a match settled in extra time is recorded as a win/loss.
OTHER STATS
Bruce Bvuma is the first keeper to provide an assist in a Nedbank Cup game since Denis Onyango (Aug 2020, semi-final v Wits) in the bio-bubble.
7 - Sundowns have received seven red cards in all competitions this season, more than any other team and more than they did throughout all of last season (6).
2020 - Rele Mofokeng is the first Pirates player to provide two assists in the same Nedbank Cup game since Luvuyo Memela in February 2020 (v Wits).
Patrick Maswanganyi is the fourth Pirates player to score a first-half brace in an FA Cup game after Jerry Sikhosana (1996*, full-time hat-trick), Phumlani Mkhize (1999) & Kabelo Dlamini (2024).
4 - Likewise, Pule Mmodi is the fourth Chiefs player to score a first-half brace in an FA Cup game after Siyabonga Nomvethe (2000), Jabu Pule (2001) & Lehlohonolo Majoro (2012*, 1st half hat-trick).
