Unlike last year, when the Nedbank Cup final experience was unpleasant, the City of Mbombela redeemed itself, as it staged an MTN8 final for the books, which saw Orlando Pirates crowned champions for a record-extending fourth successive time in the PSL era when they walloped Stellenbosch FC 3-0.
The chaos and unmanageable traffic outside the Mbombela Stadium last year was a thing of the past, as it was better organised and there were more boots on the ground to control proceedings. Kudos to the organising team, which ensured that everything went smoothly.
It must be said that the crowd heeded the call to arrive at the stadium early, as the venue was already almost full an hour before kick-off.
The less said about the heat, the better. The province really showed us why it is named Mpumalanga. Even though things cooled off later in the evening, the sun was out with full force, and the heat was just unbearable, building up to the game.
But that did not stop the show from going on, as the pre-match entertainment and the crowd were top-notch, while the football on the pitch was highly contested, especially in the second half and extra time.
The stakes were at their highest for both coaches, with one under pressure to defend a title that Pirates fans perhaps felt entitled to after winning it three times in a row, while the other was just not looking forward to losing a cup final to the same team back to back.
To prove the reality of this statement, Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou felt the heat to the point where he got rid of his arm sling and put the pain aside to show how much he needed to come out on top.
His celebration of the two goals, which were scored by substitutes Tshepang Moremi and Tshegofatso Mabasa in extra time, was second to none, as he ran all the way to the corner flag like a young José Mourinho to savour the moment with his team.
The lanky Moroccan even took a slight knock on his knee and limped his way back to the dugout, but he was briefly checked by the medical team and was patched up.
Before you know it, Moremi slotted in the third and completed his brace to put the game to bed.
For coach Steve Barker, one could imagine how he must have felt losing the MTN8 final twice to the same opponent. But, to his consolation, the season is still long and three more titles to fight for.
