PIC: Marumo Gallants campaigned as TTM when they lifted the 2021 Nedbank Cup

Seven of the teams in the Nedbank Cup Last 16 this year have lifted the trophy before, with the three most successful teams in the history of the competition still on course to add to their tally in 2025.
It means there is the potential of one of the other nine clubs to write their names into history and add to the honour roll.
Here is the rundown of past champions who are still in contention this season.

CAPE TOWN SPURS
Trophy wins (1): 2007
Spurs campaigned as Ajax Cape Town when they lifted the trophy in 2007, beating Mamelodi Sundowns 2-0 at the King’s Park Stadium in Durban. That made up for a defeat four years earlier to city rivals Santos as they went down 2-0 in 2003. Ajax also made the final in 2015 but lost to Sundowns on penalties, despite the fact Abbubaker Mobara had a spot-kick to win it in the shoot-out after the teams finished 0-0 in Gqeberha.

KAIZER CHIEFS
Trophy wins (13): 1971, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1992, 2000, 2006, 2013
Chiefs have been the most successful club in the history of the Nedbank Cup with 13 victories, but most of their good work was done in the 1970s and 80s. They have only three wins in the last 33 years, and none in the previous 12 since they lifted the Nedbank Cup in 2013 by beating SuperSport United in the decider. They won the first two titles in 1971 and 1972, beating Orlando Pirates and Zulu Royals (now AmaZulu) in the deciders. They lifted the trophy five times between 1971 and 1979, and then on four more occasions between 1981 and 1987. It means they were victorious in nine of the first 17 editions. Since then it has been more of a struggle with a victory in 1992 over Jomo Cosmos in the final, before they edged Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 in 2000 decider and beat Pirates on penalties in 2006.     

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

Trophy wins (6): 1986, 1998, 2008, 2015, 2020, 2022

Sundowns have enjoyed huge trophy success in their history, but up until recently found the Nedbank Cup a tougher proposition than most knockout prizes.

That has changed with two wins in the last five years – they defeated Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0 in the 2020 final and Marumo Gallants 2-1 in 2022. 
Those successes followed Nedbank Cup victories in 2008, when they beat second-tier Mpumalanga Black Aces 1-0 in the final, and over Ajax Cape Town on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the final in Nelson Mandela Bay in 2015,

Their first title came in 1986 when they beat Jomo Cosmos 1-0 after extra-time, and it would be 12 years before they lifted the trophy again with a penalty shoot-out win over Orlando Pirates after their decider went to a replay and both games finished 1-1.
They have also lost in six finals, including to Pirates in 2024.

MARUMO GALLANTS

Trophy wins (1): 2021

Gallants went under the name TTM when they lifted the Nedbank Cup in 2021, beating Chippa United 1-0 in the final at the Free State Stadium.

They were a surprise package in the competition, with their run to the trophy in contrast to some poor league form, but their penalty shoot-out victory over Sundowns in the semifinals remains ones of the great Nedbank Cup contests.

They were coached to victory by Dylan Kerr and are back in the topflight after purchasing the status of Moroka swallows and relocating from Limpopo to the Free State.

ORLANDO PIRATES

Trophy wins (10): 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1988, 1996, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024

Orlando Pirates have been the second most successful side ever in the Nedbank Cup competition, ending a nine-year drought in 2023 when they came from behind to beat Sekhukhune United in the final at Loftus Versfeld. 
They followed that up with victory again in 2024 as they edged Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 to claim back-to-back titles.

They had suffered two final defeats between their wins in 2014, where they beat BidVest Wits 3-1 in Durban, and 2023, going down to SuperSport United in both the 2016 and 2017 deciders, and in total have won 10 of their 19 final appearances, a 53% win record.

Only Kaizer Chiefs (13 wins from 19 finals) have lifted the trophy more times.

Pirates are the only club to win the trophy three years in a row after a hat-trick of successes between 1973-75. That included back-to-back wins over Zulu Royals, who by the next year had changed their name to AmaZulu, and finally Kaizer Chiefs. 

They beat Moroka Swallows in 1980, Chiefs after a replay in 1988 and Jomo Cosmos in 1996.

Then followed a 15-year barren run before they lifted the Nedbank Cup in 2011, defeating Black Leopards in the final. 

SUPERSPORT UNITED
Trophy wins (5): 1999, 2005, 2012, 2016, 2017

SuperSport have been three-time winners of the trophy in its current guise since 2008, including back-to-back wins when they defeated Orlando Pirates in consecutive years in 2016 (3-2) and 2017 (4-1). 
That latter success was also the biggest victory in a Nedbank Cup final in the last 17 years by goals scored. 
They also claimed the 2012 title when they beat Tshwane rivals Mamelodi Sundowns 2-0 in the final, to go with victories over Kaizer Chiefs (1999) and Wits University (2005). 
SuperSport have only been runners-up once in the Nedbank Cup, losing the 2013 decider to Chiefs after an extra-time goal from Bernard Parker.  

TS GALAXY

Trophy wins (1): 2019

TS Galaxy famously lifted the Nedbank Cup in 2019 as they beat Kaizer Chiefs in the final, and in doing so became the first, and still only, second-tier side ever to claim the silverware.

Coach Dan Malesela’s side edged the AmaKhosi thanks to a late penalty from Zakhele Lepasa, who had been the stars of The Rockets’ run to the decider.

They have since been elevated to the topflight after owner Tim Sukazi purchased the status of Highlands Park ahead of the 2020/21 season.