28 July 2011
1 – The MTN8 is the only cup competition in South Africa in which the pairings for the first round are predetermined using the previous season’s league standings; i.e. the champions are paired with eight place, second plays seventh, and so on.
2 – Only two teams have appeared in more than 10 top eight cup finals. Kaizer Chiefs hold the record with 18; Orlando Pirates racked up final number 12 last year.
3 – MTN is the third company to be title sponsors of the top eight cup. BP sponsored the competition from 1972 to 2002 when it was known as the BP Top Eight (and the BP Top 16, BP Top 32 and BP Top 17 in 1975, 1976 and 1979 respectively); SAA were title sponsors from 2003 to 2007.
3 – Only three top eight finals have been decided on penalties. Kaizer Chiefs triumphed over Mamelodi Sundowns in both the 2001 and 2008 finals via a shootout.
5 – The number of competitors in the 2011 MTN8 who hail from the Gauteng province: Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United. Western Cape duo Ajax Cape Town and Santos as well as the Free State’s Bloemfontein Celtic complete the field.
4 – The 2011 MTN8 is the fourth edition of the top eight cup to be sponsored by MTN. The Telecommunication giant’s sponsorship began in 2008.
6-0 – The record winning margin in a one-off final for the top eight cup: Golden Arrows hammered Ajax Cape Town 6-0 in the 2009 MTN8 final. Kaizer Chiefs defeated AmaZulu 8-2 in the 1976 final, but that was over two legs.
7 – The number of teams who have one top eight cup title to their name: Arcadia, SuperSport United, Jomo Cosmos, Witbank Aces, Bloemfontein Celtic, Golden Arrows and Santos.
8 – No less than eight teams have appeared at least once in a top eight cup final without ever claiming the trophy: they are QwaQwa Stars, PUBS, Highlands Park, Grinaker Rangers, Dynamos, Benoni United, AmaZulu (all with one final appearance to their name) and Ajax Cape Town (two final appearances).
8 – Reigning MTN8 champions Orlando Pirates have won the top eight cup eight times: 1972, 1974, 1977, 1983, 1993, 1996, 2000 and 2010.
10 – Orlando Pirates ended a ten-year wait for a cup trophy when they won the 2010 MTN8. Their last knockout triumph prior to that was the 2000 BP Top Eight.
14 – The record number of top eight titles won by Kaizer Chiefs. The Amakhosi lifted the trophy in 1973, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2001, 2006 and 2008.
36 – The number of times the top eight competition has been played. The first edition was in 1972, when Orlando Pirates defeated Kaizer Chiefs 3-2 in the final.
76 – The number of goals scored in the MTN8 since 2008. The 2009 edition was the most prolific of the top eight competitions sponsored by MTN, with 30 goals scored in nine matches at an average of 3.33 per game.
2011-09-10 – The date on which the 2011 MTN8 final will be played.
8,000,000 – The prize money in South African Rand that the MTN8 winner is awarded.
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MTN8 in Numbers