Carling Knockout Cup
South African football tournament
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Carling Knockout Cup is a South African professional soccer knockout competition which comprises the 16 teams in the South African Premiership. It is the third of the three main cups administered by the PSL along with the MTN 8 and the Nedbank Cup. The competition was first held in 1982 as the Datsun Challenge, and in 2023 under its current sponsored name.[2]
| |
| Founded | 1982 |
|---|---|
| Region |  South Africa |
| Teams | 16 |
| Current champions | Orlando Pirates (2nd title) |
| Most championships | Kaizer Chiefs (13 titles) |
| Broadcaster | •SuperSport •SABC Sport |
| Motto | Once Always[1] |
| Website | Carlingblacklabelcup.co.za |
 2025 Carling Knockout Cup | |
Format
The format used in this competition is the Knockout Stage phase.[3] The competition will be played by 16 teams in a single knockout match.
A winner is decided after full-time (90 minutes). If the two teams playing against each other are still tied after full-time, then the match will go through to extra time. If the score is still tied, then the match will go to penalties. The winner of the match must be decided on the match day.
After the conclusion of the competition, the winner will play against a best-XI voted by the fans. The All-stars team must consist of 6 players from the first tier league and 6 players from the second tier, and a coach voted on by the fans.
Sponsorship
The competition was established in 1982/1983 and was first known as the Datsun Challenge. Under the new NSL regime in 1984, it became known as the JPS Knockout Cup. It used this name until 1992 when it became known as the Coca-Cola Cup. It was sponsored by the drinks manufacturer until 1996, when it was replaced by the Rothmans Cup which was changed back to the Coca-Cola Cup in 2001 due to the new rules regarding tobacco sponsorship in sport. Telkom became the new sponsors in 2006 until 2020. The 2020/21 edition was cancelled after the loss of the main sponsor[4] and in August 2021 it was confirmed that the tournament would no longer be held, citing fixture congestion.[5] However the competition resumed in the 2023/24 season following a new sponsorship deal with alcoholic beverage company Carling Black Label, being renamed the Carling Knockout Cup.[6][7]
Competition history
Results by team
| Club | Wins | First final won | Most recent final won | Runners-up | Most recent final lost | Total final appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaizer Chiefs | 13 | 1983 | 2010 | 4 | 2015 | 17 |
| Mamelodi Sundowns | 4 | 1990 | 2019 | 5 | 2024 | 9¹ |
| Bidvest Wits/Wits University | 3 | 1985 | 2017 | 2 | 2011 | 5 |
| Orlando Pirates | 2 | 2011 | 2025 | 8 | 2018 | 10 |
| Ajax Cape Town | 2 | 2000 | 2008 | 2 | 2009 | 4 |
| Jomo Cosmos | 2 | 2002 | 2005 | 2 | 2001 | 4 |
| Platinum Stars/ Silver Stars | 2 | 2006 | 2013 | 2 | 2014 | 4 |
| Umtata Bush Bucks | 2 | 1993 | 1996 | 0 | – | 2 |
| Supersport United | 1 | 2014 | 2014 | 3 | 2016 | 4 |
| Bloemfontein Celtic | 1 | 2012 | 2012 | 1 | 2017 | 2 |
| Arcadia Shepherds | 1 | 1982 | 1982 | 0 | – | 1 |
| Durban Bush Bucks | 1 | 1987 | 1987 | 1 | – | 2 |
| AmaZulu | 1 | 1992 | 1992 | 0 | – | 1 |
| Dynamos | 1 | 1991 | 1991 | 0 | – | 1 |
| Cape Town City | 1 | 2016 | 2016 | 0 | – | 1 |
| Baroka | 1 | 2018 | 2018 | 0 | – | 1 |
| Stellenbosch | 1 | 2023 | 2023 | 0 | – | 1 |
| Magesi | 1 | 2024 | 2024 | 0 | – | 1 |
| Moroka Swallows | 0 | – | – | 2 | 1989 | 2 |
| Highlands Park | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1982 | 1 |
| Maritzburg United | 0 | - | - | 1 | 2019 | 1 |
| TS Galaxy | 0 | - | - | 1 | 2023 | 1 |
| Marumo Gallants | 0 | - | - | 1 | 2025 | 1 |