Carling Knockout organizers are receiving criticism from all quarter with their uncanny Man of the Match prize money, with Manqoba Mngqithi highlighting a different perspective.
From the previous guise of the Black Label Cup pre-season tournament between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, the system of voting, initially for the line-up, substitutions and Man of the Match received backlash from consumers of the game.
It somehow made a mockery of coaches, who had to organize their team based on the line up and substitutions by votes of fans.
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After the Black Label Cup between Pirates and Chiefs was discontinued, Carling, as a new PSL League Cup sponsor, replacing Telkom, retained a voting system for the Man of the Match prize to be awarded through a popularity choice and also dangled a carrot of a R100 000 prize money.
As a result, there's been unusual trend of one player winning a Man of the Match award for four consecutive games, as Iqraam Rayners did last season as a popular player for Stellenbosch and also Magesi goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze scooped the prize for four consecutive games this season, based on popularity.
Coaches have previously questioned the voting system to award a Man of the Match, as it takes away the merit, which is the basis of sport.
Former Sundowns head coach Mngqithi was even led to believe that the temptation of a player winning R100 000 for one match makes them "selfish".
The 53-year-old coach was reflecting on Masandawana's 2-1 loss to Magesi in the Carling Knockout.
"Jokingly, I even said, 'Hey, this R100 000 is killing us man, because everybody now thinks they must play for that kind of money'," Mngqithi said on 947's MSW.
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"On the day there were many selfish decisions in and around the box but the team played very well. The team dominated almost all the metrics of the game.
"But unfortunately those few moments in the final third, did not come our way. I always say such games are ordained by God. The universe is the one that decides such matches. That game I made peace with it, we could not have won it, even if we got an extra 30 minutes, maybe we would not have won it," the former Golden Arrows coach added.
After defeat to Magesi, Mngqithi also commented that he has never seen a goalkeeper winning four consecutive Man of the Match awards.
