MTN8 Final: How Much Mamelodi Sundowns Earned After Defeating Orlando Pirates in Durban

• Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 final at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday evening
• The victory gave Sundowns their first MTN8 title since 2021, ending the Soweto giants' dominance in the competition
• Coach Miguel Cardoso reflected on what the result means for the club and what comes next for his squad

Mamelodi Sundowns claimed the MTN8 title on Saturday evening with a commanding 2-0 victory over Orlando Pirates at a packed Moses Mabhida Stadium, walking away with huge prize money.

The result ended the Buccaneers' stranglehold on the competition and delivered Sundowns their first MTN8 triumph since 2021. It also marked their second piece of silverware this season, following their FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup triumph claimed before the international break.

How much Sundowns earned from winning

According to different reports, Mamelodi Sundowns took home the newly increased grand prize of R10 million.

The MTN8 victory marks the first major silverware of the campaign. For the ongoing 2026/27 season, the club stands to have its most financially rewarding year in history, with up to R242.8 million in maximum potential prize money on the line across seven different tournaments.

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Cardoso reflects on a double trophy haul

Speaking to SuperSport after the final, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso welcomed the significance of arriving at this point in the season with two trophies already secured.

"So, I think it's an amazing achievement, and it's fantastic to arrive in October with two trophies on the back," Cardoso said.

The Portuguese coach was quick to temper any complacency, pointing to the demanding schedule ahead and urging his squad to remain grounded.

"Now we need to keep humble, keep humble, keep working hard, keep thinking that if we don't work hard, we'll achieve nothing because there's already a match after tomorrow and then there's the qualifying round for the Champions League that will be very tough," he added.

When asked whether this was the strongest group of players he had worked with at Sundowns, Cardoso pointed to the depth now available in attack.

"We have more options in terms of attack now," he said. He also stressed that individual talent alone does not define a squad's success, placing greater value on how his players approach competition.

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"I think we need, I'm very happy, firstly, with the way the boys understand how they have to compete and it's not who they are, it's what they become when they compete, and that is for us the most important thing," Cardoso said.

The MTN8 win extends Sundowns' position as the dominant force in South African football, with the club now turning its attention to continental competition as the CAF Champions League qualifying rounds approach.

Source: Briefly News