Sundowns and Orlando Pirates set for ‘perfect’ MTN8 final, says Ramagalela

Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates will meet in a sold-out MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, in a fixture former Sundowns striker Rodney Ramagalela believes represents the best possible contest for South African football.

The two clubs have emerged as the country’s leading sides in recent seasons, although their fortunes during the 2025/26 campaign have been very different.

Orlando Pirates are bidding to win the MTN8 for a fifth consecutive time after completing a domestic treble last season. The Buccaneers lifted the Betway Premiership, MTN8 and Carling Knockout trophies in 2025/26.

Sundowns, meanwhile, suffered their first trophyless domestic campaign since 2012/13. Their season was transformed by success in continental competition, however, as they won the CAF Champions League for only the second time in their history.

That victory made Mamelodi Sundowns the first South African club to win Africa’s premier club competition twice.

Ramagalela, who made 19 appearances for Sundowns, said the meeting between the two clubs was exactly what supporters and the competition’s organisers would want to see.

“This is what supporters and football people want: Sundowns facing Pirates right now,” he said.

“They are the two best teams in the country. For me, I wouldn’t want it any other way. To be fair, both Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns fully deserve to be in this final because of how well they have been performing. It is fantastic for the competition and the sponsor.”

Pirates are also pursuing a place in the record books. A victory in Durban would move them level with Kaizer Chiefs’ long-standing total of 15 MTN8 titles.

The final follows an extended FIFA international break, during which a number of players from both clubs represented Bafana Bafana in three matches.

Those fixtures included two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and an international friendly against Egypt, raising questions over whether fatigue could affect the quality of the final.

Ramagalela does not expect the international schedule to reduce the intensity or standard of the match. He said the facilities available to both clubs should help their players recover and prepare effectively.

“The headache is only for the coaches. The players we are talking about Orlando Pirates and Sundowns have the best facilities in terms of recovery, getting information to the players, and analysis,” he said.

“I think it is going to come down to the coaches and which players are ready for this game.”