PIC: Third-tier side Mpheni Home Defenders will be making their second appearance in the Nedbank Cup Last 16.

All 15 of the confirmed sides remaining in the 2025 Nedbank Cup have been to the Last 16 before, and while some have had mixed results, for others it has been a round full of success. 
We look at the Last 16 records the 15 teams with the only Last 32 tie outstanding that between Royal AM and Milford FC.

AMAZULU

P9 W4 D2 L3 GF16 GA11
It is been a mixed bag for Usuthu at this stage of the competition with outright four wins and three defeats to go with a penalty shoot-out victory against Moroka Swallows in 2010 on their way to the final, which they lost to BidVest Wits. But there is also the shootout defeat by third-tier Dondol Stars in 2023 that must still weigh heavy on them. Their victories came against second-tier sides Vasco da Gama (2008), Carara Kicks (2011), Witbank Spurs (2012) and Sekhukhune United (2024), but since then there have been losses to Wits (2014), Ubuntu Cape Town and Black Leopards (2021).    

BAROKA FC

P6 W3 D2 L1 GF11 GA4

Baroka FC famously beat Moroka Swallows at this stage while still a third-tier side 2011, and went on to reach the semifinals that year, which they have done two more times. Their only loss to SIX Last 16 games came in 2017 when they went down 2-0 to Platinum Stars. Aside from that and the Swallows win, they have beaten Lamontville Golden Arrows 2-0 (2016), defeated Steenberg United 2-0 (2018) and were run close by then third-tier Hungry Lions in 2020 before winning on penalties following a 2-2 draw. They also needed penalties to advance past TS Galaxy in 2022 after a 1-1 draw.

CAPE TOWN SPURS

P5 W2 D2 L1 GF6 GA6

Spurs were rebranded from Ajax Cape Town, who were Nedbank Cup finalists in 2015. But the famous old club has only been to the second round of the competition on five occasions since 2008, a surprisingly low count. They beat second-tier Nathi Lions (1-0) in 2009, but then lost on penalties to Free State Stars following a 1-1 draw in 2010. They edged Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0 on their way to the 2015 final, and drew 3-3 with Cape Town All Stars in 2021, but lost 5-3 on penalties. They also lost to eventual finalists Sekhukhune United (0-2) on their last visit to this stage in 2023.  

CHIPPA UNITED

P7 W5 D0 L2 GF11 GA6

Chippa are appearing in the Last 16 for the eighth time and have had mostly positive results at this stage. They beat Polokwane City 2-0 in 2017, but lost 2-1 to eventual champions Free State Stars in 2018. The following year they ousted second-tier Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila with a 2-0 win. They lost 2-0 to BidVest Wits in 2020, but bounced back a year later to defeat Cape Town City 2-1. In 2023 they edged third-tier Mpheni Home defenders 2-0, and beat another third-tier side, Ravens FC 2-1 in 2024, though they needed extra-time. In four of the last six occasions when they have advance past the Last 16, they have reached the semifinals at least. 

DURBAN CITY
P9 W4 D1 L4 GF12 GA14
Durban City, rebranded from Maritzburg United, have advanced past this stage on five of their nine previous appearances, including wins over Santos (2-1), Lamontville Golden Arrows (1-0), third-tier Tembu Royals (3-1) and Royal Eagles (2-1), and a shootout success versus Platinum Stars in 2014. Their four defeats have all come in their last five appearances at this stage, going down to Mpumalanga Black Aces (0-2), Bloemfontein Celtic (2-3), Orlando Pirates (1-3) and Mamelodi Sundowns (0-2).

KAIZER CHIEFS
P13 W8 D2 L3 GF27 GA14

Chiefs have been a mixed bag in the Last 16, with all three of their outright losses coming to lower league opposition – University of Pretoria (2009), FC Cape Town (2010) and Black Leopards (2015). They also suffered penalty shoot-out defeats to Mamelodi Sundowns in 2008 and Highlands Park in 2020. But they do have eight wins, the last of which was in 2023 when they edged Casric Stars 2-1. They did have memorable 4-0 wins over BidVest Wits in 2011 and Black Leopards in 2012, when striker Lehlohonolo Majoro scored all four goals. 

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

P15 W12 D1 L2 GF34 GA8

Sundowns have largely had things their own way in this stage of the competition, having been knocked out just twice in their 15 fixtures. They have played Lamontville Golden Arrows three times in the Last 16, winning two of those, their one defeat coming in a 1-0 loss in 2017. Their only other exit at this stage of the competition was in 2009 at the hands of Platinum Stars. They did play to a 1-1 draw with Kaizer Chiefs the year before, but triumphed 5-4 on penalties. Last year they beat Maritzburg United 2-0. 

MARUMO GALLANTS

P4 W0 D2 L2 GF4 GA8

Gallants have not yet won a Last 16 clash outright, but have been to the final of two editions of the Nedbank Cup. They beat Swallows FC on penalties following a 2-2 draw in 2021 and then ousted another Soweto side at this stage in 2022 following a shoot-out win over Orlando Pirates after the sides drew 1-1. That was their third appearance at this stage after their debut in 2019, when they lost 2-0 to Chippa United. Their last was a 3-1 loss to Mamelodi Sundowns in 2023.

MPHENI HOME DEFENDERS
P1 W0 D0 L1 GF0 GA2
Mpheni Home Defenders made the Last 16 on their Nedbank Cup debut in 2023 having beaten fellow third-tier side Clarewood JPM 3-0 in the first round. That booked an away day at Chippa United, but they lost 2-0. They are back again in the Last 16 after defeating second-tier Hungry Lions 3-1 this year.

ORLANDO PIRATES

P13 W8 D1 L4 GF28 GA12

Pirates have certainly not had it all their own way in this stage of the competition with four outright defeats and a penalty shoot-out loss to go with eight wins. Those outright defeats were all by single-goal margins and came against Bloemfontein Celtic (2009), Free State Stars (2012), SuperSport United (2015) and Cape Town City (2018). They lost to Marumo Gallants in 2023 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. By contrast, their victories have largely been emphatic, with wins over ALS Puk Tuwana (4-0), United FC (3-1), Santos (2-0), Jomo Cosmos (3-1), Free State Stars (4-1), Maritzburg United (3-1), Venda FC (2-1) and Hungry Lions (4-0). 

POLOKWANE CITY
P4 W2 D0 L2 GF9 GA9
Polokwane City have a 50% success rate from their four visits to this stage of the competition, winning on the first two occasions but losing on the last two. They defeated third-tier Island FC 7-2 in 2013, and Platinum Stars 2-1 in 2016. On both occasions they lost in the quarterfinals, to Kaizer Chiefs and Baroka FC respectively. They were defeated 2-0 by Chippa United in the 2017 Last 16, and 4-0 by Mamelodi Sundowns in 2021. 

SEKHUKHUNE UNITED

P2 W1 D0 L1 GF2 GA2
Sekhukhune are in the Last 16 for the third time, having debuted at this stage of the campaign in 2023 when they went all the way to the final but lost to Orlando Pirates in the decider. They beat Cape Town Spurs 2-0 in the Last 16, a routine victory for the team with Victor Letsoalo and Rodrick Kabwe on target. But they lost in their second appearance last season, a 2-0 home defeat to AmaZulu.

STELLENBOSCH FC

P3 W2 D0 L1 GF13 GA6
Stellenbosch have been to the Last 16 three times before, first as a second-tier side back in 2018, when they lost 2-1 to away at Kaizer Chiefs. They returned to this stage in 2023 and took part in the most extraordinary of games as they triumphed 6-3 away at TS Galaxy. Iqraam Rayners got a brace that day in a game that defied logic with both teams having pretty good defences. They scored six again in 2024 when they won 6-1 at Milford FC to advance.

SUPERSPORT UNITED

P9 W7 D1 L1 GF14 GA6

For a side that has three Nedbank Cup wins and a reputation as an excellent knockout team, it is amazing that SuperSport have only appeared in the Last 16 on nine previous occasions around half the time since 2008. But once they get to the second round they have been strong, with their only blemish a 1-0 loss to Free State Stars in 2011. They have beaten United FC (2012), Vasco da Gama (2013), Moroka Swallows (2014), Orlando Pirates (2015), KwaDukuza United (2017), Platinum City Rovers (2022) and Richards Bay (2024), while they also advanced past University of Pretoria in 2016 on post-match penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw.    

TS GALAXY

P4 W2 D1 L1 GF8 GA7

Galaxy were famously Nedbank Cup winners in 2019 while still campaigning in the second-tier, and along the way met Jomo Cosmos in the Last 16. They advanced 1-0 thanks to an own goal from Dahou Lebahi. They reached this stage for the second time in 2022 and after a 1-1 draw with Baroka FC, were ousted on penalties. They then suffered outright defeat in that remarkable 6-3 home loss to Stellenbosch FC in 2023, but beat third-tier D’General 3-0 away in 2024.