Carling Knockout: A History of the League Cup

The second Cup competition of the PSL season, the Carling Knockout, kicks off this weekend. Officially known as the League Cup (minus any sponsor), this is a tournament that features all 16 current teams in the top-flight.

This will be the third edition under Carling sponsorship. Stellenbosch won the first Carling knockout in 2023, beating TS Galaxy on penalties in the final. Last season, Magesi were victors, defeating Sundowns 2-1 in the final. Let’s review this weekend’s tournament with a brief history.

Different sponsors

In the pre-PSL era, the same tournament was known under multiple different names, based on sponsorships.

• 1982 – 1983: Datsun Challenge
• 1984 – 1991: John Player Special (JPS Knockout)
• 1992 – 1996: Coca-Cola Cup
• 1997 – 2000: Rothmans Cup
• 2001 – 2005: Coca-Cola Cup
• 2006 – 2019: Telkom Knockout
• 2023 – date: Carling Knockout

Chiefs domination

Overall, the 2025 edition will be the 41st League Cup competition of all time (since 1982). There were 14 editions before the PSL was established, and this will be the 27th edition in the PSL era (1996+). Kaizer Chiefs have reached more finals than any other team in the PSL era (10), and they have also won the title more than any other side (8).

13 – Kaizer Chiefs are the most decorated team in the history of the League Cup, having lifted it a record 13 times (8 in the PSL era, 5 before).

2025 Round of 16 Draw: Stellenbosch (Away)

League Cup Finalists: All-Time

Sundowns struggles

Sundowns may dominate the regular league season, and are currently leading the table aiming for a ninth consecutive title. However, they often struggle in domestic Cup competitions. Progressing to finals has not been a problem per se, but winning has been. No team has been to the final of each PSL domestic competition, but returned without the trophy more often than Sundowns, losing the Top8, League Cup and FA Cup five times each. Most notably, they lost the Carling final to Magesi last season.

1 – Sundowns became the first team in PSL history to lose a final to a newly promoted side.

2025 Round of 16 Draw: Marumo Gallants (Home)

Orlando Pirates struggles

Likewise, Pirates tend to struggle in this particular tournament. The Buccaneers have made a name for themselves in other competitions, mainly the Top8 tournament that features only the top eight teams from the previous season. Their win last month made them the first team ever to win four consecutive Top8 titles. But the League Cup has proved mainly elusive.

1 – Despite playing the joint-most matches (79) and scoring the most goals (129) in the League Cup (PSL-era Coke/Rothmans/TKO/Carling Cups), Orlando Pirates have won the competition only once (2011 Telkom Knockout).

2025 Round of 16 Draw: Siwelele (Home)

Other teams

Teams like AmaZulu will also be looking to perform better in this year’s edition. Usuthu won this title back in 1992, but that remains their only major trophy. A home game against the defending champions Magesi sounds like a tricky tie at first reading. But this is a team they beat home and away in the league last season, so they should be favoured. Stellenbosch are the only other current team that has won this competition in the ast (2023). They have endured a rather tough start to the season, and progress in this competition could bring back a smile to Steve Barker’s face.

Round of 16 matches:

Friday

• Durban City v Polokwane City

Saturday

• Orlando Pirates v Siwelele
• Orbit v TS Galaxy
• Sundowns v Marumo
• Arrows v Sekhukhune

Sunday

• Stellenbosch v Kaizer Chiefs
• Richards Bay v Chippa
• AmaZulu v Magesi