You would think, given the nature of the competition with plenty of David versus Goliath clashes, that hat-tricks would be a regular occurrence in the Nedbank Cup, but this has not been the case.
AmaZulu defender Sandile Mthethwa netted a treble against third-tier Mighty Eagles as Usuthu won 5–1 in the Last 32 in 2025.
And Orlando Pirates’ Tshegofatso Mabasa netted a hat-trick in the 3–1 win over Baroka FC, ending the campaign with four goals, the joint top scorer alongside Kaizer Chiefs’ Pule Mmodi.
Before that, there were just three other hat-tricks scored since the 2017 edition, two from Mamelodi Sundowns players.
Gaston Sirino bagged a treble for Sundowns in their 6–1 victory over NB La Masia in 2024, while teammate Peter Shalulile got a hat-trick against Marumo Gallants the season before.
Tashreeq Morris scored three times for Cape Town City against Bloemfontein Celtic in 2021.
Apart from that, it has been a barren run for players seeking to keep the match ball.
There were two scored in the 2016 campaign as Bongi Jayiya netted for Mpumalanga Black Aces against lower-league United Rovers, and Daine Klate scored four goals as Bidvest Wits brushed aside Magesi FC 6–0.
Of course, the most famous ‘trebles’ came as Sundowns defeated Powerlines FC 24–0 in 2012, and in doing so saw Hlompho Kekana (seven goals) and Nyasha Mushekwi (six) both score ‘double hat-tricks’ in an incredible fixture. The late Richard Henyekane also got in on the act with five goals.
Kekana’s haul remains the most goals ever scored in a single Nedbank Cup match by a player, while his career total of 11 makes him the joint second-highest scorer in the competition since 2008, alongside Kermit Erasmus but behind Shalulile (14).
Dumisani Ngwenya (five) was also among the goals as AmaZulu thumped Young Ones 14–0 in 2008, a game in which Siyabonga Mkhwanazi also got three.
Mpho Maleka got a hat-trick for AmaZulu against Black Leopards that year, and then another for Mpumalanga Black Aces versus Witbank Spurs in 2011. He is the only player to score more than one Nedbank Cup hat-trick, the only one to score for two teams, and the only one to net in multiple years.
There were six hat-tricks in all in the 2012 campaign: the three in Sundowns’ win over Powerlines, while Lehlohonolo Majoro scored four goals for Kaizer Chiefs against Black Leopards, Henrico Botes got three for Platinum Stars against Dolphins FC, and David Radebe had a treble for United FC versus Vardos.
The only hat-trick of Musa Nyatama’s career came when he netted three for Bloemfontein Celtic against University of Stellenbosch in an 8–0 win in 2014.
Sundowns and AmaZulu have managed the most Nedbank Cup hat-tricks since 2008 with five each, followed by Black Leopards, Free State Stars, Kaizer Chiefs and Mpumalanga Black Aces (two each), with University of Pretoria, Carara Kicks, United FC, Platinum Stars, Polokwane City, Celtic, Wits, Cape Town City and Pirates all on one each.
HATTRICKS IN THE NEDBANK CUP SINCE 2008
2025
Sandile Mthethwa – AmaZulu vs Mighty Eagles
Tshegofatso Mabasa – Orlando Pirates vs Baroka FC
2024
Gaston Sirino – Mamelodi Sundowns vs La Masia
2023
Peter Shalulile – Mamelodi Sundowns vs Marumo Gallants
2022
None
2021
Tashreeq Morris – Cape Town City vs Bloemfontein Celtic
2020
None
2019
None
2018
None
2017
None
2016
Bongolethu Jayiya – Mpumalanga Black Aces vs United Rovers
Daine Klate (four goals) – Bidvest Wits vs Magesi FC
2015
Siphelele Mthembu – Kaizer Chiefs vs Edu Sports
Roggert Nyundu – Black Leopards vs Ubuntu Cape Town
2014
Musa Nyatama – Bloemfontein Celtic vs University of Stellenbosch
2013
Brian Amidu (four goals) – Black Leopards vs Cape Town All Stars
Puleng Tlolane – Polokwane City vs Island FC
2012
Hlompho Kekana (seven goals) – Mamelodi Sundowns vs Powerlines FC
Nyasha Mushekwi (six goals) – Mamelodi Sundowns vs Powerlines FC
Richard Henyekane (five goals) – Mamelodi Sundowns vs Powerlines FC
Lehlohonolo Majoro (four goals) – Kaizer Chiefs vs Black Leopards
Henrico Botes – Platinum Stars vs Dolphins FC
David Radebe – United FC vs Vardos
2011
Ayanda Dlamini – AmaZulu vs Real Madrid
Atusaye Nyondo – Carara Kicks vs Cullinan FC
Mpho Maleka – Mpumalanga Black Aces vs Witbank Spurs
2010
Sthembiso Ngcobo – Free State Stars vs Tower United
Joseph Mthombeni – University of Pretoria vs Vasco da Gama
2009
None
2008
Collins Chabalala – Free State Stars vs Ikapa Sporting
Mpho Maleka – AmaZulu vs Black Leopards
Siyabonga Mkhwanazi – AmaZulu vs Young Ones
Dumisani Ngwenya (five goals) – AmaZulu vs Young Ones