A new once-off Carling Black Label Cup is on the horizon
Carling Black Label has done away with the off-season Soweto derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs and instead introduced a once-off knockout tournament for all 16 teams in the premiership as a precursor for the entry of the Carling Knockout Cup which starts next year.
As the new sponsors of the Carling Knockout Cup which is set to take place in the 2023/24 season of the DStv Premiership, Carling Black Label has since approached the Premier Soccer League to stage a once-off Carling Black Label Cup.
The league has agreed to the request and a new format Carling Black Label Cup, which used to be an off-season Soweto derby between the two Soweto giants, Orlando Pirates and Kaiser Chiefs, will now involve all 16 teams of the premiership.
This was confirmed by the chairperson of the league Dr Irvin ‘Iron Duke’ Khoza at a press conference at the league headquarters in Parktown.
“We are proud to announce a 2022 Carling Cup that is set to re-ignite fans and football rivalries like never before.
“As the Carling Knockout Cup [scheduled for 2023] will involve all 16 teams in the DStv Premiership, this year’s Carling Cup format follows suit and will include all the top-flight football teams as fans will vote for which four teams they would like to participate in this year’s Cup,” Khoza said.
As with previous encounters in the Soweto derby, Khoza said fans would have unprecedented power and influence over the beautiful game, as they will be selecting their preferred starting XI and captains for each of the four teams.
“After the announcement of the 2023 Carling Knockout Cup, our long-time partners, SAB, were eager to come back as a cup sponsor, but unfortunately the constraints imposed by the Fifa World Cup calendar did not allow this in 2022. They proposed an innovative appetizer for the 2023 Knockout Cup, the 2022 Carling Cup, to take place as a one-day affair on 12 November.
“This was welcomed by the league, especially for the partner that has been so good at marketing and positioning football in the country and would be great for spectators to have a window-view of what would happen in the 2023 Knockout Cup season.”
Carling Black Label brand director Arne Rust said the top four teams with the most votes from fans would be drawn against one another, where it would be determined which teams would battle it out before the penultimate final where the two winners will face off.
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