| Founded | 1982 |
|---|---|
| Region |  South Africa |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Current champions | Magesi (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Kaizer Chiefs (13 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | •SuperSport•SABC Sport |
| Motto | Fak'ugesi |
| Website | Carlingblacklabelcup.co.za |
 2024 Carling Knockout Cup | |
TheCarling Knockout Cup is a South African professionalsoccer knockout competition which comprises the 16 teams in theSouth African Premiership.
TheCarling Knockout Cup is the third of the three main cups administered by thePSL along with theMTN 8 and theNedbank Cup.
TheCarling Knockout Cup was first held in 1982 as the Datsun Challenge, and in 2023 under its current sponsored name.[1]
The format used in this competition is theKnockout Stage phase.[2] The competition will be played by 16 teams in a single knockout match.
A winner will be 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 toextra time. If the score is still tied, then the match will go topenalties. 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 thefirst tier league and 6 players from thesecond tier, and a coach voted on by the fans.
The competition was established in 1982 and was first known as theDatsun Challenge. Under the newNSL regime in 1984, it became known as theJPS Knockout Cup. It used this name until 1992 when it became known as theCoca-Cola Cup. It was sponsored by the drinks manufacturer until 1996, when it was replaced by theRothmans Cup which was changed back to theCoca-Cola Cup in 2001 due to the new rules regardingtobacco 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[3] and in August 2021 it was confirmed that the tournament would no longer be held, citing fixture congestion.[4] However the competition resumed in the 2023/24 season following a new sponsorship deal with alcoholic beverage companyCarling Black Label, being renamed the Carling Knockout Cup.[5][6]
| 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 (previously Wits University) | 3 | 1985 | 2017 | 2 | 2011 | 5 |
| Ajax Cape Town | 2 | 2000 | 2008 | 2 | 2009 | 4 |
| Jomo Cosmos | 2 | 2002 | 2005 | 2 | 2001 | 4 |
| Platinum Stars (previously Silver Stars) | 2 | 2006 | 2013 | 2 | 2014 | 4 |
| Umtata Bush Bucks | 2 | 1993 | 1996 | 0 | – | 2 |
| Orlando Pirates | 1 | 2011 | 2011 | 8 | 2018 | 9 |
| 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 |
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