Carling Cup stick to guns over fans choosing R100,000 man of the match

Organisers of the Carling Knockout Cup are sticking to their guns about giving fans the power to choose the competition's R100,000 man-of-the-match award, despite criticism that this often results in a popularity contest.

The Carling Cup — which has replaced the Telkom Knockout, which ended in 2021 after the sponsorship was not renewed — kicked off last week with a few innovations. These include fans voting for the man of the match, predicting when goals will be scored and voting for players and a coach for a selected team that will face the cup's winners early next year.

The man-of-the-match system has had some hitches. In the first round of matches some popular players who turn out for big-name teams won the R100,000, rather than the best player on the field, even if their side did not win.

Many were surprised when Kaizer Chiefs star Keagan Dolly walked away with the gong in his side’s 1-0 defeat to AmaZulu FC on Saturday. Others felt Thembinkosi Lorch, who played his first game of the season after his return from injury in Orlando Pirates' 2-0 win against Cape Town Spurs on Friday, only won it because of his fan-favourite status.

There was a feeling that defender Olisa Ndah and striker Evidence Makgopa were standout performers for the Sea Robbers on the night.

Former Pirates player Ndumiso Mabena was chosen ahead of Oswin Appollis, who scored a goal and produced two assists, in Polokwane City’s 4-1 drubbing of SuperSport United on Sunday. Hlasiyi Chauke scored a brace in that match, while Mabena, only provided one assist to Appollis.

Khanyisa Mayo also took home the prize money while his Cape Town City lost 3-1 to Golden Arrows, and so did former Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns star Andile Jali despite his Moroka Swallows losing 2-1 to Richards Bay FC.

Carling Black Label brand director Arné Rust does not feel they may have missed the target with the innovation, the intended purpose of which is keeping supporters engaged with the cup competition.

Innovations are nothing new by the sponsor. The preseason Carling Black Label Cup between Chiefs and Pirates, which ran for 12 years, saw fans vote for the line-ups and substitutions, a format that was also not without criticism.

“We are proud of being able to empower the champions in a way that translates from the field. We are not just rolling the billboards outside the stadium, we are changing the way that the game is being played,” Rust told TimesLIVE.

“We are proud of that and to work with our partners at the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in building on what started with Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, the baby that was born 12 years ago, and is now Carling Knockout Cup.”

Rust said those criticising the man-of-the-match-by-vote arrangement should take the power into their hands by watching the games and then participating in the voting for the players they feel deserve to win.

“We’ve created a situation where players are being recognised by their fans. Yes, some people are saying it’s a popularity contest and it’s for the bigger teams, but anyone who wants to be part of that change must just vote.

“If Chiefs are playing and you don’t want to see a Chiefs player win, go and watch the match and choose the player you feel deserves to win. You don’t even have to buy a beer [the preseason Carling required a code off a black label beer can or bottle for fans to vote] to choose a man of the match.

“You just dial *120*660# — that's all you need to do to be a part of choosing the man of the match.

“We want the fans to be a part of this and I haven’t seen an award that was entirely unjustified.”

There have been good calls from fans for players such as TS Galaxy’s Mlungisi Mbunjana, Jamie Webber of Sekhukhune United and Iqraam Rayners of Stellenbosch FC.

Rust said Carling has given away R700,000 in prizes to supporters in their Fak’ iGoal Uzobona innovation, where fans predict the team that scores and minute of the first goal.

“There were five people in that first match [between Galaxy and Sundowns] who guessed the 12th minute,” he said.