PIC: Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali of Chippa United won his side a penalty shoot-out against Polokwane City

The fact that only three games in the 2023 Nedbank Cup have gone to a penalty shoot-out so far, and seven to extra-time, bucks the trend of recent years as clubs are now generally getting the job done in the 90 minutes.
The previous four seasons have been a big spike in the number of ties that have gone to the extra 30 minutes and penalties, but this year has seen a lower number … so far.

Three games have been decided by shoot-out – Royal AM defeated Cape Town City (Last 32), Chippa United ousted Polokwane City (Last 32) and, most famously, Dondol Stars edged AmaZulu (Last 16).  
With seven games left to play, that is well down on recent seasons, though that could all change, of course.

The most amount of Nedbank Cup matches going to extra-time and penalties was in 2021 when no less than 12 ties went to an extra 30 minutes, with nine of those ending in a penalty shoot-out. It is more on both counts than in any other season since 2008.
That was part of an upward trend in recent seasons as the gap between minnow sides, or the second-tier and first-tier, continues to close.
It really started in 2019 when the number of shoot-outs jumped from three to seven, and nine games were played over 120 minutes.
The following season also saw seven shoot-outs and this time 10 games going to extra-time, before the record year in 2021.

The number of shoot-outs dropped to six in 2022, but there were still 11 games that went to the added 30 minutes.

It is all a far cry from 2011, when there were only two shoot-outs and four ties that went to extra-time, the lowest in the now 16-year history of the Nedbank Cup.
It was in keeping with the generally low numbers of that time, though there was an anomaly in 2010 when we had seven shoot-outs and nine games go to extra-time. 

NEDBANK CUP MATCHES TO HAVE GONE TO PENALTIES/EXTRA-TIME

Year     Pen      ET       

2008    6          6

2009    5          8

2010    7          9

2011    2          4

2012    4          6

2013    3          8

2014    4          9

2015    3          6

2016    4          8

2017    4          6

2018    3          6

2019    7          9

2020    7          10

2021    9          12

2022    6          11

2023*  3          7

*There are seven matches still to play.