Carling Knockout Cup

Carling Knockout Cup
Founded1982; 44 years ago (1982)
Region South Africa
Teams16
Current championsOrlando Pirates (2nd title)
Most championshipsKaizer Chiefs (13 titles)
Broadcaster•SuperSport •SABC Sport
MottoOnce Always
Websitecarlingblacklabelcup.co.za
2025 Carling Knockout Cup

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.

Format

The format used in this competition is the knockout stage phase. The competition will be played by 16 league 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 introduced in the 1982–83 season under the name Datsun Challenge. With the formation of the NSL in 1984, it was rebranded as the JPS Knockout Cup, a title it retained until 1992.

It then became the Coca‑Cola Cup, a title it held till 1996, after which it was replaced by the Rothmans Cup. In 2001, following new regulations restricting tobacco sponsorship in sport, the competition reverted to the Coca‑Cola Cup.

Telkom assumed sponsorship in 2006 and remained the title sponsor until 2020. The 2020–21 edition was cancelled after the withdrawal of the main sponsor, Telkom. In August 2021, the league confirmed that the tournament would be discontinued due to fixture congestion, and it did not take place during the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons. The competition was revived in the 2023–24 season under a new sponsorship agreement with Carling Black Label, adopting the name Carling Knockout Cup.

Competition history

YearWinnerScoreRunner-up
Datsun Challenge
1982Arcadia Shepherds1–1
(2–0)		Highlands Park
1983Kaizer Chiefs2–1Wits University
John Player Special (JPS) Knockout Cup
1984Kaizer Chiefs (2)Durban Bush Bucks
1985Wits UniversityKaizer Chiefs
1986Kaizer Chiefs (3)Moroka Swallows
1987Durban Bush BucksOrlando Pirates
1988Kaizer Chiefs (4)Jomo Cosmos
1989Kaizer Chiefs (5)Moroka Swallows
1990Mamelodi SundownsOrlando Pirates
1991DynamosGiant Blackpool
Coca-Cola Cup
1992AmaZuluKaizer Chiefs
1993Umtata BucksSantos
1994Qwa Qwa StarsHellenic
1995Wits University (2)Orlando Pirates
1996Umtata Bush Bucks (2)Qwa Qwa Stars
Rothmans Cup
1997Kaizer Chiefs (6)Mamelodi Sundowns
1998Kaizer Chiefs (7)Mamelodi Sundowns
1999Mamelodi Sundowns(2)2–0Free State Stars
2000Ajax Cape Town4–1Orlando Pirates
Coca-Cola Cup
2001Kaizer Chiefs (8)5–0Jomo Cosmos
2002Jomo Cosmos1–0Kaizer Chiefs
2003Kaizer Chiefs (9)2-0Silver Stars
2004Kaizer Chiefs (10)1–0SuperSport United
2005Jomo Cosmos (2)1–1 (4–1 pen.)SuperSport United
Telkom Knockout Cup
2006Silver Stars3–1Ajax Cape Town
2007Kaizer Chiefs (11)0(3)–(2)0Mamelodi Sundowns
2008Ajax Cape Town (2)2–1Orlando Pirates
2009Kaizer Chiefs (12)2–1Ajax Cape Town
2010Kaizer Chiefs (13)3–0Orlando Pirates
2011Orlando Pirates3–1Bidvest Wits
2012Bloemfontein Celtic1–0Mamelodi Sundowns
2013Platinum Stars (2)2–1Orlando Pirates
2014SuperSport United3–2Platinum Stars
2015Mamelodi Sundowns (3)3–1Kaizer Chiefs
2016Cape Town City2–1SuperSport United F.C.
2017Bidvest Wits (3)1–0Bloemfontein Celtic
2018Baroka2(3)–(2)2Orlando Pirates
2019Mamelodi Sundowns (4)2–1Maritzburg United
Carling Knockout Cup
2023 Stellenbosch (1) 1–1 (5–4) TS Galaxy
2024 Magesi (1) 2–1 Mamelodi Sundowns
2025 Orlando Pirates (2) 1–0 Marumo Gallants

Results by team

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

References

  1. ↑ "Dan and Clinton set for emotional reunions after masterminding magical Carling CKO quarter-final wins". Bizcommunity. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  2. ↑ Kohler, Lorenz (10 October 2023). "Carling Knockout Explained As Draw Completed". iDiski Times. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  3. ↑ Tshwaku, Khanyiso. "Carling Knockout Cup muscles into Telkom Knockout space in 2023, announces PSL chair". Sport. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  4. ↑ Reporter, Staff (9 May 1997). "New soccer knock-out cup". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  5. ↑ Kwenaite, Thomas (14 December 2000). "Rothmans butts out of PSL sponsorship". IOL. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  6. ↑ "R2m KO cup will make PSL life taste good". IOL. 12 July 2001. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  7. ↑ Sibembe, Yanga (30 September 2020). "PSL scraps Telkom Knockout for new season as sponsor pulls out". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  8. ↑ "Telkom Knockout cancelled for 2020/21 season". Kick Off. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  9. ↑ "PSL chairman Irvin Khoza addresses Telkom Knockout replacement tournament". Kick Off. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  10. ↑ Tshwaku, Khanyiso. "Carling Knockout Cup muscles into Telkom Knockout space in 2023, announces PSL chair". Sport. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  11. ↑ "Khoza Makes Huge Carling Black Label Cup Announcement". iDiski Times. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  12. ↑ Reporter, Staff (18 December 2004). "Chiefs come out on top". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  13. ↑ "Cosmos win Coca-Cola Cup". IOL. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  14. ↑ "Telkom Knockout". flashscore.com. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  15. ↑ Tshwaku, Khanyiso (10 December 2016). "Cape Town City down SuperSport to win Telkom Knockout final". Times LIVE. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  16. ↑ "Telkom Knockout Final Report: Maritzburg United v Mamelodi Sundowns 15 December 2019". Soccer Laduma. 14 December 2019.
  17. ↑ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  18. ↑ "Magesi shock Sundowns in Carling Knockout final". SuperSport. Retrieved 23 November 2024.