Sponsors of the Carling Knockout Cup have moved to clarify that players of Muslim faith are not obliged to wear the Carling Black Label branding on their jerseys during the competition.
The beer brand said the same applies to underage players and ball boys during the tournament. This after a few Islamic faith players from Premier Soccer League (PSL) teams played without the logo of the sponsor during the Knockout Cup last 16, which started last week.
The Mamelodi Sundowns duo of goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse and Moroccan defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil and Cape Town Spurs’ veteran defender Nazeer Allie took to the pitch without the Black Label logo on their jersey this weekend. Spurs’ 17-year-old Luke Baartman, who came on as a second-half substitute in Spurs’ defeat against Orlando Pirates, also played without the logo due to his age.
Ugandan goalkeeper Salim Magoola, also Muslim, was left out of Richards Bay FC’s match-day squad against Moroka Swallows over the issue. TimesLIVE Premium understands that the Natal Rich Boyz opted to omit Magoola in fear of a possible retaliation from the PSL if they followed the route of Sundowns and Spurs and removed the Black Label branding.
Carling Black Label became the sponsors of the League Cup this season. The competition was not played for the past two seasons after Telkom ended their sponsorship of the Telkom Knockout at the end of the 2020-21 season.
In an interview with TimesLIVE Premium, Carling Black Label brand director Arné Rust said they respect people’s religion and have no problem with a player who doesn’t want to wear alcohol branding on their jersey.
“It will be the same for under-18 players too. As a beer brand we respect people’s choices, age, we respect our responsibilities in marketing beer,” Rust said. “In the same way cricket and rugby does it, if you, for religious reasons, don’t want a beer brand on your jersey, we respect that.
This is not the first time such a clash of sponsorship and faith has happened in South African sport. Proteas batting legend and captain Hashim Amla refused to have the Castle Lager logo on his clothing during his playing days and was later exempt from it.
It’s mixed emotions - obviously as a sponsor we would have wished for the big teams to be in there [longer] for the fans to engage with.
— Carling Black Label
brand director, Arné Rust
“We [South African Breweries, which brew Black Label in South Africa] have been here for 128 years, and we are going to be around for another 128 years, and the only way to do that is to bring people with us and make them want to be a part of our story,” Rust said.
Rust said Black Label have informed the league of their stance on the matter. “If you noticed all the ball boys in the Carling Knockout are over the age of 18. We have ensured that we are responsible in the way we market the brand.”
It remains to be seen if the PSL will take any action against the players and clubs that removed the logos without being granted an exemption from wearing them.
Attempts to get comment from the PSL via its media department were unsuccessful.
Rust said Black Label was pleased with how the first week of the League Cup under their sponsorship unfolded where all the so-called big guns, except Pirates, were knocked out.
“It’s mixed emotions — obviously as a sponsor we would have wished for the big teams to be in there [longer] for the fans to engage with,” Rust said. “But there has been something with the underdogs, the fight, the wanting it more.
“If you look at the match between Kaizer Chiefs and AmaZulu on Saturday, they matched each other, but AmaZulu wanted it more. And you had Polokwane City beating SuperSport United 4-1. That’s what we wanted to see, we want to see goals and drama.”
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