Ahead of the Last 16, we pick out a fact from each club to bring you up to speed on who they are and what they are about in this competition.
AmaZulu: Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya’s 113th-minute winner against Polokwane City in the last round was the latest Usuthu have ever scored in the Nedbank Cup. They have gone to extra time on nine occasions and their only other goal in the additional 30 minutes came via Simphiwe Luthuli after 92 minutes against Mthatha Bush Bucks in 2018.
Casric Stars: Stars have been drawn away from home for the fourth successive time in the Nedbank Cup as they go to Orlando Pirates. They have never played a home fixture in the competition.
CR Vasco da Gama: Vasco are into the second round for the first time since their semi-final showing in 2015, when they lost to eventual champions Mamelodi Sundowns. They were a second-tier side then and it remains their best finish in the Nedbank Cup. The only other time they advanced past the Last 16 was in 2011, when they reached the quarter-finals as a topflight team.
Durban City: City’s last two games in the Nedbank Cup have both finished 0-0. They lost a quarter-final against Marumo Gallants in 2025 when they went down 4-1 in the shoot-out, but this time edged Chippa United 3-2 on spot-kicks following a 0-0 draw in the Last 32.
Jacksa Spears: Spears made a triumphant return to the Nedbank Cup after 13 years when they defeated fellow third-tier FC Cardinals 4-2 after extra time. They had led 2-0, were pegged back to 2-2 late on and then won it in the additional 30 minutes. They had lost 3-0 to African Warriors on debut in the Last 32 in 2013.
Lamontville Golden Arrows: Golden Arrows advanced past the Last 32 for just the second time in seven seasons with their 3-0 win over Orbit College. They had bowed out in the first round in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025. Before that they had been semi-finalists in 2019.
Mamelodi Sundowns: Sundowns have now advanced in all 24 meetings with lower-league sides in the Nedbank Cup since 2008. They won 23 of those games to go with a 1-1 draw against University of Pretoria, a tie they won on penalties. They have scored 85 goals and conceded nine.
Milford FC: Milford have reached the Nedbank Cup Last 16 for the third year in a row, but have still yet to win a tie in the competition outright. They defeated Kaizer Chiefs on penalties in the Last 32 in 2024, and SSU M-17 via spot-kicks this year. In 2025 they advanced when opponents Royal AM could not fulfil their Last 32 fixture.
Mkhambathi: The KwaZulu-Natal ABC Motsepe League club were one of just two in the Last 32 to claim a victory against a team in a higher division when they beat second-tier Lerumo Lions 2-1. They had bowed out against second-tier Casric Stars 4-0 in 2023, so showed signs of improvement.
Orlando Pirates: Patrick Maswanganyi’s goal in the 4-1 victory over TTM in the Last 32 was his seventh for Pirates in the Nedbank Cup, leaving him just one behind the club’s top scorer in the competition, Tshegofatso Mabaso (eight goals).
Richards Bay: Richards Bay’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Siwelele in the Last 32 was the first time they have been held in a Nedbank Cup tie. Of their other 12 ties, they had won five and lost seven.
Sekhukhune United: Sekhukhune have been drawn away at the University of Pretoria in the Last 16. It means only four of their 14 Nedbank Cup ties will have been played at home. They advanced this year with a 1-0 away win at second-tier Highbury FC.
Stellenbosch FC: Stellenbosch have been drawn away to Lamontville Golden Arrows in the Last 16, ending a run of six Nedbank Cup ties in a row on their home patch. Incredibly, just three of Stellies’ previous 18 Nedbank Cup ties have been away.
TS Galaxy: Galaxy were famously winners of the Nedbank Cup while still in the second tier in 2019 as they defeated Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 in the decider. But they have continued to have a fine record in the competition and have only lost four of their 17 ties outright. Two of those losses were to Chippa United, with the others coming against Stellenbosch FC and second-tier Durban City as they were given a taste of their own medicine.
University of Pretoria: AmaTuks will be seeking to make the quarter-finals for the fourth time since they were beaten finalists in 2009. The second-tier side reached the last eight in 2010, 2022 and 2024, but have not advanced beyond that point. They host Sekhukhune United in the Last 16 this year.
Upington City: The Northern Cape side were the only lower-league team to knock out topflight opposition in this year’s Last 32. They edged Magesi FC 5-4 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
