The possibility of an early-season derby between South Africa’s biggest soccer club, Orlando Pirates, and rivals Kaizer Chiefs became a reality when the two teams were kept apart when the draw for the Telkom Charity Cup was made in Johannesburg on Monday.
Chiefs are matched against Venda-based Black Leopards for the first match and Pirates will play Sundowns in the game immediately thereafter. The winners of the two matches will meet in the final of the one-day tournament, played to raise funds for various charitable organisations.
The four clubs will play in the football extravaganza after soccer lovers voted to determine which of 16 Premier Soccer League clubs will take part in the tournament.
Pirates missed the tournament last year despite being league champions. Their supporters showed their unhappiness with the manner in which the club went about winning their second premiership title in three years.
This season the club came third in the voting despite finishing fifth in the league — their worst finish in the premiership.
Sundowns fans have responded to the club’s multimillion-rand buying spree by casting the most votes for their club.
Chiefs are the only team to have played in every tournament since its establishment about 19 years ago. It was therefore no surprise when they were voted second.
The unfashionable Leopards rallied to come in fourth behind the three soccer powerhouses, despite an indifferent season.