Former professional footballer and Football Union of South Africa (FUSA) founder, Calvin Motloung, has weighed in on the big debate about the ongoing Carling Knockout.
As the inaugural competition has entered the semi-final stage, a lot has been said about the exit of the big guns, namely Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.
TS Galaxy, Stellenbosch FC, AmaZulu and Richards Bay FC are the four remaining teams in the competition who will battle it out for the top prize, with the Natal Rich Boyz set to host Stellies, while Usuthu will be home to the Rockets in the other semi-final.
The final will be played at Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium on December 16 and Motloung has lauded the PSL for the competition.
The Good
"It shows that our standard of football has improved. The players have raised the bar, and they are growing mentally and we are at a stage where we want to compete and I think we are ready to compete with the world outside. Going into the AFCON, players want to raise their hands for the coach of the national team to notice them. Look at the so-called big teams and they are out of this competition. No one ever thought that teams that are in the semi-finals would be there. Credit must also go to the league for getting Carling Black Label to sponsor the tournament which involves all the clubs and not just the two (Chiefs and Pirates) as was the case before in the other competition. The sponsor has pumped in the money which the so-called small teams are in desperate need of. I am not saying the big clubs do not need the money but the small clubs probably need it the most," said Motloung.
The Bad
"But what does this mean for the sponsors? As a sponsor, when you pump money into something, you expect a return. I guess we will have to wait and see about that one," he said.
The Ugly
"I am happy about that (choice of final venue). Now that the final has been taken to Durban, that's also good because the big clubs are from Gauteng and if you were to take the final there, chances are that the support would be minimal. Taking it to Durban was a good idea and I support that. There have been concerns about lack of support for football in Gauteng even when the national team is playing. Imagine if AmaZulu and Richards Bay were to play in the final, it would be a big occasion and the sponsor would be happy with that as that would mean another chance of making more money in return," the former SA Football Players Union deputy secretary general added.
'It's good for the hardworking players'
"I like the fact that there is a big prize money for Man of the Match award winners. It's good for the hardworking players to be rewarded when they have done well for their respective teams. From what I have seen so far, all the players who have won the awards deserved them," concluded Motloung.
Who will win the Carling Knockout?
