SuperSport United players will troop onto the Orlando Stadium pitch as favourites when they face Highlands Park in the MTN8 final on Saturday night.

United have earned their status as favourites as they have become cup kings in recent years‚ reaching 10 finals and winning five.

Highlands are regarded as underdogs but they have shown that they cannot be taken lightly.

Five things you need to know about the MTN8 final

1) Saturday’s top eight final will be the 12th since the competition was sponsored by MTN.

Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs are the only teams to have won the competition twice since MTN came on board.

Pirates won it in 2010 and defended it in the following year.

Chiefs were winners in 2008 and 2014.

SuperSport stand a chance to join Chiefs and Pirates if they defeat Highlands Park on Saturday as they won the 2017 edition before losing to Cape Town City last year.

2) Chiefs have no rivals in the number of the top eight trophies they’ve won as they have 15 titles since the competition was launched in 1972.

Pirates follow Chiefs with nine titles while Mamelodi Sundowns‚ Moroka Swallows and Bidvest Wits have won it three times.

SuperSport will join the three-time winners if they win on Saturday against final debutants Highlands.

3) Highlands Park will become the 16th club to win the top eight trophy if they beat SuperSport on Saturday.

The Lions of the North will also join nine other clubs to have won the title at least once.

Six of the previous winners with one title - Arcadia Shepherds‚ Witbank Black Aces‚ Santos‚ Jomo Cosmos‚ Platinum Stars and Ajax Cape Town - are either defunct or campaigning in the lower divisions in SA football.

All the clubs who have won the top eight more than once are playing in the top-flight of SA football.

4) Orlando Stadium has hosted two previous MTN8 finals‚ the first one in 2009 when Lamontville Golden Arrows beat Ajax Cape Town 6-0.

The Soweto venue also hosted the 2012 final between Moroka Swallows and SuperSport United when the Birds won 2-1 on that occasion.

In the past eleven years‚ Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium has hosted four finals‚ including the last two which were won by Cape Town City and SuperSport.

5) Orlando Stadium hosted the first ever top eight final between Chiefs and Pirates in 1972.

The Buccaneers won the match 3-2 but Chiefs got their revenge when they beat Pirates 6-2 on aggregate two years later.

The Soweto giants met again in the final at the FNB Stadium 37 year later‚ in 2011‚ with Oupa Manyisa’s lone goal giving Pirates their last victory.

The last time (2014) Chiefs won the top eight final‚ they beat Pirates 1-0 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban‚ with defender Tefu Mashamaite scoring the 28th minute winner.