MTNFootball

South Africa’s MTN8 features the top eight teams from the previous season’s league standings competing on a knockout basis.

The history of the competition dates back to 1972 – it has featured various formats and title sponsors down the years and has evolved into its present guise as the MTN8, featuring quarterfinals, two-legged semifinals and final played at a neutral venue.

The quarterfinal pairs are chosen according to the previous season’s league standings, so the league champions play the eighth-placed team, the runners-up play the seventh-placed team and soon.

The title holders are Moroka Swallows, who won the competition for the first time in over 30 years last season by defeating SuperSport United in the final, though it is their fellow Soweto club Kaizer Chiefs that has traditionally dominated the competition, winning it no less than 14 times.