Why Golden Arrows’ 6-0 MTN8 win remains South Africa’s cup classic

Former Maritzburg United, Bloemfontein Celtic and Sekhukhune United midfielder Given Mashikinya says Lamontville Golden Arrows’ 6-0 demolition of Ajax Cape Town in the 2009 MTN8 remains the competition’s most iconic moment for South African football supporters.

The emphatic victory has endured as a benchmark for attacking excellence in South African cup football, with Mashikinya identifying it as the performance that immediately comes to mind whenever the MTN8 is mentioned.

“When I hear MTN8, what comes to mind is Golden Arrows, because they gave us an iconic performance, an iconic memory that I don’t think any South African football fanatic can ever forget.” “I mean, you look at those guys, none of them are still playing now. I mean, [Thandoyise] Khuboni, if I can go back, I see [Njabulo] Manqana and [Thabani] Mshengu, you know, I think even Kagisho Dikgacoi, [Siyabonga] Sangweni was there. So for me, I think Golden Arrows.”

The Golden Arrows side featured a number of players who went on to become memorable figures in South African football, including Thandoyise Khuboni, Njabulo Manqana, Thabani Mshengu, Kagisho Dikgacoi and Siyabonga Sangweni.

Although those players have since retired, the scale of the result has ensured that the match remains firmly embedded in the collective memory of the tournament. The six-goal display continues to be used as a reference point whenever outstanding attacking performances in the MTN8 are discussed.

Mashikinya has personal experience of coming close to winning the competition. During his time with Bloemfontein Celtic, he collected two MTN8 silver medals, reaching the final stages on both occasions but ultimately missing out on the trophy.

Despite those near-misses, the former midfielder regards Golden Arrows’ 2009 performance as his clearest MTN8 memory. The result not only delivered a landmark victory for the club, but also helped define the careers and reputations of a generation of Arrows players.

The passage of time has done little to diminish the impact of the result. With none of the players from that Golden Arrows team still active, the match has taken on the character of a defining snapshot from a previous era of South African football. Their 6-0 win remains the standard against which later MTN8 performances are measured.

Golden Arrows are again in contention in this season’s competition and head into Sunday’s second leg against Mamelodi Sundowns with a 1-0 aggregate lead.

The current Arrows squad now has the opportunity to create a fresh chapter in the club’s MTN8 history. Whether it can produce another performance capable of matching the significance of the 2009 victory remains uncertain, but Mashikinya believes that famous demolition of Ajax Cape Town still casts a long shadow over the competition.