Striker Tshegofatso Mabasa was at the heart of a remarkable resurgence by Orlando Pirates, who were eager to bounce back from their 4-1 Premiership defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns last weekend.

Mabasa scored a hat-trick to crown Pirates’ 3-1 win and kept the hopes alive of becoming the first PSL side to win the Nedbank Cup three times consecutively in the PSL-era.

Here, we look at five moments that define South African football this past weekend.

Spare a thought for grieving Chippa goalie Nwabali

Kaizer Chiefs’ 3-0 winning scoreline sounds formidable, but two of their goals were scored after uncharacteristic blunders by Chippa United goalie Stanley Nwabali, the Nigerian No 1 shot-stopper.

Nwabali recently experienced deaths in his family and asked to be excused from playing Saturday’s Nedbank Cup against Chiefs. As it turned out, Chippa decided his services were indispensable and fielded him against his wishes. Chiefs’ coach Nasreddine Nabi sympathised with him on the field afterwards, sparking a wave of speculation.

Stellenbosch FC players celebrate a goal scored by Devin Titus during the 2025 Nedbank Cup last 16 game between Stellenbosch FC and Polokwane City at Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on 13 February 2025 © Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

Sublime strikes from Titus and Sirino, the pick of the Nedbank Cup goals

The scoring shots by Stellenbosch midfield dynamo Devin Titus and Chiefs’ livewire winger Gastón Sirino were out of the top drawer. Titus had the crowd on their feet as he hammered the ball into the Polokwane City net with a first-time shot from the edge of the penalty area through a packed goalmouth.

Sirino scored with a similar shot as he ran onto a cut-back feed into the Chippa United penalty area. The shot was so good it reduced Chippa goalie Stanley Nwabali to ball-watching.

Sundowns’ form must be cause for concern

Mamelodi Sundowns, as expected, defeated the only remaining amateur side Mpheni Home Defenders in Sunday’s Nedbank Cup last-16 round match at the Lucas ‘Masterpieces’ Moripe Stadium. Both goals were scored in the first half despite an overwhelming 77% possession advantage in the game.

True, Sundowns played the second half with 10 players after Tashreeq Matthews was red-carded at the start of the half, but in the end, Home Defenders managed 11 shots at goal, against seven from Sundowns. Sundowns led the fouls count 15-11, and since fouls have become an important defensive tool, it showed the Limpopo amateurs were no push-overs.

Head coach of TS Galaxy Adnan Beganovic. Photo: BackpagePix

Galaxy's Nedbank Cup adventure ends on Valentine's Day

TS Galaxy’s Nedbank Cup adventure ended on Valentine’s Day after they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to First Division upstarts Durban City after extra time at Chatsworth Stadium on Friday.

It was the first defeat for Adnan Beganović, the Bosnia-Herzegovina native, since taking charge of Galaxy in November. Before the Chatsworth upset, Galaxy were unbeaten in 13 matches across all competitions since Beganović took over from German-born Sead Ramović. Galaxy were overwhelming favourites after defeating the country’s highest-ranked team Mamelodi Sundowns a few days earlier.

☠️ ⏪️ 𝗬![CDATA[]]>𝗔![CDATA[]]>𝗗![CDATA[]]>𝗛![CDATA[]]>𝗖![CDATA[]]>𝗧![CDATA[]]>𝗔![CDATA[]]>𝗠 ⏪️

🎤 Evidence Makgopa
🆚 @Baroka_FC
🏟 Orlando Stadium
🗓️ 15 February 2025

⚫️⚪️🔴⭐️#OrlandoPirates #OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/5Nvd5a7FGA
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) February 16, 2025

Threepeat-chasing Pirates advance thanks to Mabasa hattrick

There are a host of stars around him, but Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa continues to grab the headlines. On Saturday, as always, he quietly set about his task, leading the team’s attack as the lone striker in the team’s 4-2-3-1 playing pattern and scored a hat-trick, his second this season, against Baroka.

He is closing in on the Pirates’ all-time goalscoring record. Last season, Mabasa netted 19 goals in 33 matches across all competitions, winning the PSL’s Golden Boot award. Benedict Vilakazi holds Pirates' record for scoring the most goals with 58, and Mabasa is just 14 goals away from equalling Vilakazi’s record.