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By Sibongiseni Gumbi

Football Writer


Carling Black Label Knockout delivers fresh punch

Orlando Pirates will take on Cape Town Spurs, and Kaizer Chiefs will host AmaZulu in the first round.


The PSL’s new fresh and inventive cup competition, known as the Carling Black Label Knockout has cooked up some thrilling matchups that are sure to deliver exciting football.

The competition was officially launched on Tuesday, and they wasted no time in conducting the draw on the same day. 

As for the dates and venues for these epic showdowns, stay tuned because they’ll be revealed in due course.

And for the all-important prize money? Well, you’ll have to be patient a bit longer because those details will also be unveiled at a later stage.

Much like with the Carling Black Label Cup the now defunct pre-season game between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Priates, the fans are still going to play a significant role in all of this. They’ll have the power to vote for the Man-of-the-Match in each game, and there’s a cool new innovation called Fak’igoli Uzobona that can score them some cash.

Here’s how it works: When the game kicks off, there’s a pot of R90 000, but with every passing minute, R1 000 gets deducted. 

Fans get to make their predictions, picking the team and the exact minute they think a goal will be scored.

“Let me say( for an example), I predict that Pirates will score in the second minute, and (Zakhele) Lepasa goes and scores, the fan gets R80 000,” said said Carling Black Label’s Arne Rust. 

The team on the pitch also gets a slice of what’s on the clock. And when it’s the final we’re talking a whopping R900 000 up for grabs.

Each game’s ‘champion’ player is set to score R100 000. But the fans will decide who that player is. 

“It will not be decided by the small group of people, but the multitudes of fans and will be audited thoroughly,” added Rust.

All-Star Match

And there’s even more excitement with the Carling Black Label Cup. This time, it’s all about the winners of the Carling Black Label Knockout facing off against an All-Star Team, handpicked by the fans.

It’s a throwback to that classic showdown between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. The coach for the All-Star Team will be voted for by the supporters. 

Circle January 6, 2024, on your calendar because this epic match is happening at Polokwane’s Peter Mokaba Stadium. 

Fixtures: Sekhukhune United v Royal AM; Orlando Pirates v Cape Town Spurs; SuperSport United v Polokwane City; TS Galaxy v Mamelodi Sundowns; Chippa United v Stellenbosch FC; Richards Bay FC v Moroka Swallows; Kaizer Chiefs v AmaZulu FC; Golden Arrows v Cape Town City.