Premier Soccer League chairman, Dr. Irvin Khoza has tried to give clarity around the new Black Label Cup in comparison to the old tournament that included Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Khoza confirmed earlier on Friday that Carling Black Label have come on board for a once-off Carling Cup tournament on 12 November.
Four of the 16 DStv Premiership teams will be voted in by fans to take part in this tournament and meet each other in the semi-finals. The exact voting mechanism will still be announced.
Khoza also tried to explain that the new competition is not really replacing the traditional Carling Black Label Cup between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, neither the Telkom Charity Shield, leaving it up to the clubs to make potential further announcements.
“I’m happy for this question because it’s very important to go back in history, why Carling is coming into the space of Telkom,” he explained during a press conference.
“Telkom was not keen because Kaizer Chiefs and Pirates wanted to have the opportunity of having that Carling Cup more.
“There are reasons that are confidential that are well-handled and that are now behind us. Teams have their own innovations to come up with the Carling Cup. It was not a replacement of the [Telkom] charity element of it, it was never. That is very important.
“I’m also saying I’m allowing the clubs because I’m here as the chairman of the league, the club’s will announce what’s going to happen beyond this.
“I’m protecting that space, that announcement because it’s very important to allow them to have something to say at an appropriate time.
“I don’t want to talk about mixed messaging. The issue of charity is not being discussed by the league at the moment. Whether it’s going to come, I don’t know. A lot of dynamics are happening in terms of the shrinking space at the programme with all the fixtures.
“That’s why also it’s very important to allow more teams to participate.
“I don’t want to talk much about what will happen with the two teams, that announcement will be made by the teams at an appropriate time.
“For now, today, this is an instruction by the league executive committee that I must come and talk to you to announce this request from our sponsor as a once-off.”
