Winners And Losers From The Nedbank Bank Cup Final

The final trophy of the PSL season was contested this past Saturday. In what was a first for the PSL, the teams that finished first and second in the league were competing for the main prize. True to their positions as the two best teams in the country, the teams delivered a spectacle. In the end, Pirates came from behind to win late in stoppage time, and Sundowns will rue their missed chances. Winners & Losers review the game statistically, with special mention to key Pirates players who made a difference on the day. Enjoy.

Winners

Jose Riveiro

The Spaniard would have preferred to win this game more straightforwardly, but there could be value in the long run from this type of win. Having conceded the first goal, the expectation was that Sundowns would cruise to victory. But instead of crumbling under the moment’s weight, Riveiro’s team embraced the challenge. The medal around his neck will bring immense pride, but the response shown by his team after a setback may be called upon in the future. He remains unbeaten in the Nedbank Cup:

0 – Jose Riveiro has never lost a Nedbank Cup game (P10 W9 D1 L0).

Orlando Pirates

As neutrals, we must rejoice that the 2023/24 season culminated in this extraordinary battle between two great sides. The league has contained virtually no twists and turns, and a fascinating final between the best two teams in the land was the least fans deserved. Credit to both teams for putting up a spectacle for the ages. For Pirates, the method of victory for Pirates was memorable.

1 – For the first time in PSL history, Pirates won a game against Sundowns despite conceding the first goal (D9 L26 prior).

Sipho Chaine

Hero in the penalty shootout in the MTN8 final. And hero in saving Lucas Costa’s penalty in the Nedbank Cup final. He may have his doubters in the humdrum of league games, but there is no doubt he is a moments player who delivers on the big stage.

Relebohile Mofokeng

Relegated to the bench on the final day could have eroded his belief. But the youngster bid his time and delivered what could be one of the biggest goals of his career.

19y7m10d – Aged 19 years 7 months 10 days, Mofokeng is the youngest player to score a goal for Orlando Pirates in an FA Cup final.

Thalente Mbatha

A Man Of The Match performance in the final for the loanee from SuperSport. As the transfer window opens, Pirates’ priority may not be a big-name signing, but to keep a player who has been a vital cog in the second half of the season.

Losers

Sundowns

The inability to make the most of the early penalty put pressure on Downs all game. Even if they still opened the scoring, the players knew that they should have been 2-0 up. In all previous three Nedbank Cup triumphs, Pirates had come back to win from a goal down. That possibility was always near. Defensive frailties and lack of composure in the final 20 minutes was unlike Sundowns. For a team that only trailed for 20 minutes in a game until May this season, they need to learn to respond to pressure.

1 – Sundowns have won just one of their last seven Cup games (D3 L3).

Rulani Mokwena

There are ways to manage these pressure situations (forced subs, injured players, soft penalties against) that he may only learn through painful experiences like these. Understandably, he highlighted the 57 games played this season (a club record), but the comments that one team was playing were unfortunate – out-of-possession football is part of the game as much as possession football. Sometimes, you have to admit defeat and move on.

5 – For the first time in five years, Sundowns have lost back-to-back games (since April 2019).

Mbombela Organising Committee

First came the mismanagement of traffic that allowed private vehicles to flock within walking distance of the stadium. Then came the post-match reshuffle as the same vehicles tried to get out of a traffic mess that they had created. The result was a spectacular cock-up of crowd management, which was comical only because it did not end up in disaster. Locals highlighted that it took 10 minutes to get from the city to the stadium at the last Springboks game. On Saturday, it took four hours to cover the same route.

PSL Officiating

You know you have had a mixed refereeing performance when both sets of fans can openly admit that they received soft penalties in the game. The early penalty established a contact-and-fall culture that players took advantage of. In the end, a stop-start game saw 33 fouls blown for 90 minutes – a foul every three minutes.

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