South African soccer lovers — and the 16 Premier Soccer League club owners — are rubbing their hands in anticipation of some fine football and enormous rewards when the Coca-Cola Cup kicks off again this season.
The richest domestic competition on the continent awards R1-million for playing four games — and that’s just for coming second. The winners walk away with a cool R2-million.
The fans will benefit as the Coke organisers encourage players with flair to do those back-heels, shibobos and tsamayis on the field of play.
This is the third edition of the knockout competion and as yet only two teams have made it to the final. Kaizer Chiefs were the inaugural winners in 2001 when they thrashed Jomo Cosmos 5-0. Last year Cosmos avenged that defeat by beating Chiefs 1-0.Â
The draw, conducted on Monday at Gallagher Estate, sees newly crowned super eight champions Cosmos pitted against Hellenic, whom they beat last time around 3-1 in Cape Town.
League champions Orlando Pirates travel to Durban to play Manning Rangers, while Silver Stars, who upset Bucs in the Absa Cup last season, play Supersport United in Limpopo.
The clever boys, Wits, will face off with Black Leopards in the latter’s Thohoyandou slaughterhouse.
Durban hosts a derby when Golden Arrows take on Zulu Royals, who won the Coke Cup in 1992 (before it was discontinued) as Amazulu.
Kaizer Chiefs go down to the Cape to play former league and current Absa Cup champions Santos. Dynamos fight it out with Ajax Cape Town, and the only game to be played in Gauteng in the first round of the Coca-Cola cup is Sundowns against Moroka Swallows.
First-round matches are on the weekend of October 4.