10 Stats from The Top 8 Weekend

Kaizer Chiefs, Sundowns, Orlando Pirates, and Stellenbosch all made it through to the semi-finals of the Top8 this past weekend. It was a weekend of many thrills, with last-minute winners, red cards, extra time winners, and 5-0 thrashings all on offer. Below are 10 of the best stats from the 2023 MTN8 quarter-finals.

2002 – The 5-0 win over Swallows was Pirates’ joint-biggest winning margin in a Top8 tie, after August 2002 (5-0 Swallows) when Jimmy Kauleza scored a hat-trick.

0 – Sundowns, Chiefs, SuperSport & Pirates have never reached the semis of the Top8 in the same PSL season. Only once in PSL history (2015 TKO) have they all reached the semis of the same Cup.

13 – SuperSport (13 times) have been knocked out at the quarter-final stage 13 times, more than any other side.

2 & 5 – Teams that finished 2nd or 5th the season before have won the TOP8 title on most occasions (5 times).

10 – Five of the last six seasons have seen 10 goals scored in the quarter-finals.

April 2001 – This is the first time since April 2001 that Orlando Pirates have scored 4+ goals in back-to-back games.

Player

2 – Zakhele Lepasa is only the second player in PSL history to score a hat-trick in a Top8 tie, after Jimmy Kauleza in 2002 v Moroka Swallows, who was also playing for Orlando Pirates.

Semi Finals Draw

Immediately after the Sunday games, the draw for the semis was conducted. Chiefs will meet Sundowns home & away, while Stellenbosch meet Orlando Pirates in the same fashion.

3 – Sundowns, Chiefs & Pirates have reached the semi-finals of the Top8 in back-to-back seasons for just the second time, and the first since 2000/1 & 2001/2.

10 – In the last 10 seasons, Orlando Pirates either get knocked out before the semi-finals or reach the final – if they make the semis, they go through (4 out of 10).

3 – Chiefs are meeting Sundowns for a third time in the semi-final stages of a domestic PSL-era competition, with both sides progressing once each in the previous two such meetings.