The Carling Knockout is back on the South African domestic football calendar and the first round got underway on Wednesday when TS Galaxy defeated Mamelodi Sundowns at the Mbombela Stadium.
We cast an eye over how the 16 DStv Premiership clubs have fared down the years, with seven having lifted the trophy before in its various guises.
AMAZULU
Best finish: Winners (1992)
The last trophy AmaZulu lifted was the Coca-Cola Cup in 1992, this very competition under a different guise, when they beat Kaizer Chiefs 3-1 in the final. It is also their only final appearance in this competition. How they would love to end 31 years of no silverware, having come close to a few finals in the recent past.
CAPE TOWN CITY
Best finish: Winners (2016)
City won this competition just a few months after they were formed in the 2016/17 season as current coach Eric Tinkler, in his first spell with the team, led them to the title with a 2-1 win over SuperSport United. Thami Mkhize and Thabo Nodada are survivors from that triumph.
CAPE TOWN SPURS
Best finish: Winners (2000, 2008)
Spurs are two-time winners of this competition when they were known as Ajax Cape Town, stunning Orlando Pirates with a 4-1 victory in a replayed final in 2000, and then beating The Buccaneers again in 2008 (2-1). They have also lost two deciders, in 2006 and 2009.
CHIPPA UNITED
Best finish: Quarterfinals (2017, 2019)
Chippa have found the Carling Knockout a struggle with five first round exits in the seven years they have competed. They did reach the quarterfinals in 2017 but lost to Kaizer Chiefs, and in 2019 when they were ousted by Mamelodi Sundowns on penalties.
KAIZER CHIEFS
Best finish: Winners (1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009/10, 2010)
Chiefs are the most successful side in the Carling Knockout competition by a country mile, though they have not lifted the trophy since 2010. Their 13 title wins is more than three times the nest best of Mamelodi Sundowns (4), and were particularly dominant through the 1980s and early 2000s.
LAMONTVILLE GOLDEN ARROWS
Best finish: Semifinals (2003, 2011, 2019)
Golden Arrows have reached the semifinals on three occasions but never quite managed to squeeze into a final. They were defeated in the Last 4 by Silver Stars (2003), Orlando Pirates (2011) and Mamelodi Sundowns (2019).
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Best finish: Winners (1990, 1999, 2015, 2019)
The second most successful side in the competition and technically the holders after they won the last Telkom Knockout in 2019, beating Maritzburg United. That was their fourth title win from eight appearances in the decider, with Orlando Pirates, Free State Stars and Kaizer Chiefs the other teams they have beaten in the final.
MOROKA SWALLOWS
Best finish: Runners-Up (1986, 1989)
Swallows have twice been runners-up, though a long time ago, and have yet to get their hands on the trophy. They lost in two-legged finals to Kaizer Chiefs in 1986 and 1989, and will hope to go one better this year having been transformed by coach Steve Komphela.
ORLANDO PIRATES
Best finish: Winners (2011)
One trophy win from nine final appearances is a poor return for Orlando Pirates in a competition where they have inexplicably struggled to get over the line. Their single success came in 2011 as they beat BidVest Wits 3-1 but for the rest if has been a tale of woe. They last made the decider in 2018 but lost on penalties to Baroka FC.
POLOKWANE CITY
Best finish: Semifinals (2017)
City lost in the first round in their first four appearances in the Carling Knockout, before reaching the semifinals in 2017, their best result to date. Remarkably, all three of their tires in that year went to penalties as they won the first two before their luck ran out against Bloemfontein Celtic in the Last 4. They have, therefore, not won any of their 12 games in the competition outright, having also had first round exits in 2018 and 2019.
RICHARDS BAY
Best finish: Debut
Richards Bay have not played in this competition before having won promotion to the topflight ahead of the 2022/23 season.
ROYAL AM
Best finish: Debut
Royal AM have not played in this competition before having purchased the status of Bloemfontein Celtic ahead of the 2021/22 season.
SEKHUKHUNE UNITED
Best finish: Debut
Sekhukhune United have not played in this competition before having won promotion to the topflight ahead of the 2021/22 season.
STELLENBOSCH FC
Best finish: First round (2019)
Stellenbosch have only featured in the competition once before after winning promotion ahead of the 2019/20 season. They took on Orlando Pirates in the first round and lost 1-0 away from home. They have been a good cup team of late, this could be their chance for silverware.
SUPERSPORT UNITED
Best finish: Winners (2014)
SuperSport have been to four finals in the past but come away victorious only once – though it was one of the great cup deciders in South African football history as they beat Platinum Stars 3-2 in a game that had everything. They also suffered final losses to Kaizer Chiefs (2004), Jomo Cosmos (2005) and Cape Town City (2016).
TS GALAXY
Best finish: Debut
Royal AM have not played in this competition before having purchased the status of Bloemfontein Celtic ahead of the 2020/21 season.
Photo by Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
