Overview
- Mamelodi Sundowns beat Orlando Pirates 2-0 at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday to claim the 2026 MTN8 and win their first top-eight cup since 2021.
- The game was decided by an early Teboho Mokoena strike, a crucial Ronwen Williams save from Ghampani Lungu's second-half penalty, and an Iqraam Rayners stoppage-time penalty that sealed the result.
- The final went ahead as scheduled in front of a sold-out crowd of about 50,000 after the PSL enforced mobile-only digital tickets and confirmed live broadcasts on SABC and SuperSport.
- Post-match coverage centered on Miguel Cardoso praising his squad and urging humility, criticism of Abdeslam Ouaddou's team selection from some outlets, and Sundowns facing a congested fixture list including CAF duties.
- The match followed threats from March and March activists and some Amabutho members to block stadium entry over recent asylum-processing changes, and those political tensions remain an active public issue while players cope with personal impacts such as Mokoena's recent family trauma.