Sukazi has mixed emotions over Carling Knockout announcement

TS Galaxy’s president, Tim Sukazi, holds a range of emotions regarding the prize money for the “player of the match” in the PSL’s latest cup competition, the Carling Knockout. 

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The recent announcement revealed that in each match, the player selected as the ‘champion player’ would take home a notable R100 000 in prize money.

Sukazi expresses his contentment with this generous amount, candidly admitting that he wasn’t even aware of the award’s value in other tournaments. 

However, what really irks him is the fact that the Carling Knockout’s player of the match is determined by fan votes. 

He believes this system may inadvertently favour popular players from the bigger teams.

While Sukazi appreciates the financial reward, he remains cautious about the potential influence of popularity in the selection process, underscoring the nuanced dynamics of such a decision.

Voting could be unfair, says Sukazi

“If you were to ask me what’s the prize money for DStv Premiership man of the match is, I don’t know,” said Sukazi. 

“I know the trophy. But Carling came now and said, ‘here is R100 000’. They deserve it.  But I feel sorry for teams that will play Chiefs and Pirates. 

“It is guaranteed, chances are that if you play big teams, Chiefs, Pirates and Sundowns, you won’t have a man of the match if you beat them. 

“And none of your players will win the award. That to me, defies logic. It favours the big teams if supporters are to vote,” explained Sukazi. 

“The majority counts, you know the supporters, the majority will vote and they won’t vote for a player from Richards Bay or whoever.”

Sukazi questions decision not to announce prize money

Sukazi’s Rockets found themselves paired up with Mamelodi Sundowns, a part of the local football “Top 3.” This high-profile matchup certainly raises the stakes.

In addition to voicing his opinions on the man of the match prize money, the outspoken club boss raised some concerns about the PSL’s handling of prize money details for the competition winners. 

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He questioned the PSL’s decision to withhold information on this matter. 

“We would have loved to know in advance the prize money, so when we become excited, we know exactly what becomes the main drive and motivation. 

“I’m not sure (about) the decision to hold it back, but again, the people who are organising this thing know better, they are far ahead of us and they will tell you the reasons why they will reveal the prize money later.

“But the best preference, in my view, is to know about it quite early,” said Sukazi.