The draw has occurred, and following an exciting initial round, the 2026 Nedbank Cup is living up to its expectations of “dreaming big.” With Kaizer Chiefs out of the competition early, opportunities are abundant for other teams.
The draw held on Wednesday night at the SuperSport TV studios in Randburg, Johannesburg, signals that this tournament will continue to deliver excitement, as more upsets could happen before the quarter-finals.
Heavyweights Pirates and Sundowns kept apart
The standout match in the Last 16 features TS Galaxy taking on Mamelodi Sundowns. Galaxy, who lifted the cup in 2019 after defeating Chiefs, have often posed challenges for the Brazilians. Sundowns’ head coach Miguel Cardoso is eager to re-establish the team’s dominance with a seventh Nedbank title, but facing the Rockets will be tough.
“It’s a different challenge from what we are used to. This is where big teams show their true colours. You can’t always show yourself by how you win trophies but also by how you come out of adversities,” said Grant Kekana.
“This is a chance for us to show why we are a big team. It’s giving us extra motivation to do well, to qualify in the Champions League and progress in the Nedbank Cup and we are obviously still in the running for the league. I think we are the most exciting team in the league and it’s about us getting back to those ways.
“We haven’t been playing our best football and we haven’t been getting the best results but we know what we need to do. We’ve come together as the senior gents and we just need the team to come back. That’s our motivation going to the end of the season.”
Historically, this matchup favors the underdog, as Sundowns have not won in their last three visits to Mpumalanga. This sets the stage for a pivotal moment for the former African champions.
Meanwhile, Stellenbosch FC, fresh off ousting Chiefs in the Last 32, will face a challenging away game against Lamontville Golden Arrows.
Orlando Pirates continue to be a formidable contender. After reaching the final for three consecutive seasons, they are poised to pursue their third title in four years as they host second-tier team Casric Stars.
The draw also opens opportunities for teams from lower divisions. A match between Milford FC and Mkhambathi FC guarantees at least one club from the KwaZulu-Natal lower leagues will reach the quarter-finals, highlighting the talent present beyond the top tier.
Last 32 Recap: A round of giants and guts
The 2026 tournament kicked off impressively, yielding 46 goals over 16 matches filled with excitement. A notable upset occurred at DHL Stadium on February 4, when the defending champions Chiefs were eliminated.
Stellenbosch FC secured a 2-1 victory, with goals by Ibraheem Jabaar and Devin Titus, leaving Flávio Silva’s late penalty as merely a consolation for Chiefs fans, who saw their hopes for back-to-back titles dashed.
While Chiefs struggled, Pirates exhibited confidence, easily defeating TTM 4-1 in Durban on February 7. New acquisition Andre de Jong scored from the penalty spot, while Thalente Mbatha, Patrick Maswanganyi, and a reinvigorated Sipho Mbule contributed to a commanding win. Sundowns also proceeded, though they faced a tense 2-1 battle against a resilient Gomora United on Wednesday.
The true essence of the “Magic of the Cup” shone through in smaller venues. In Dobsonville, Milford FC overcame adversity against SSU M17, an amateur side playing in their first cup, managing to hold on through extra time and ultimately prevailing in a penalty shootout. Likewise, AmaZulu FC required a dramatic 113th-minute goal from Zimbabwean forward Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya to edge past 10-man Polokwane City FC.
AmaZulu coach Arthur “10111” Zwane aims to secure the Nedbank Cup, hoping to replicate the success of the club’s 1992 squad. Their victory in the 1992 Coca-Cola Cup remains their only major trophy in the top division.
“Like any other team that wants to compete against the best, we’d like to see ourselves in the final. Hopefully, we can do what was done by the generation of 1992.
“It [that class] was a quality team… the Joseph Mlabas and Simon Magagulas of this world. Funny enough, I shared the room with Magagula at Pirates. It was a quality side AmaZulu had assembled in 1992 and we just want to emulate that team.”
As the competition progresses to the Last 16 from February 21st to 24th, one message is clear: in the Nedbank Cup, reputation holds no weight once the match begins.
