It will be the last flight for the South African Airways (SAA) Supa8 competition after the national airline announced at the launch of the coming season’s competition it would not be renewing a five-year sponsorship.
Symbolically, perhaps, holders Chiefs were absentees from the seeded draw by virtue of not finishing among the top eight teams in last season’s Premier Soccer League (PSL).
And while the fallen Chiefs will surely harbour hopes of making a speedy comeback in the future, PSL officials gave the assurance that the early season competition in its current format would also be maintained with a new backer — and increased sponsorship.
The seeding system for the first round of the competition means PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns will meet eighth-placed Bloemfontein Celtic; second-placed Silver Stars face seventh-positioned Jomo Cosmos; third-placed Moroka Swallows come up against sixth-placed SuperSport United; and fourth-placed Ajax Cape Town will meet Orlando Pirates.
The games involving Sundowns and Stars will take place on the weekend of August 11 and 12, with the other two games played on the following weekend.
An innovation in the competition, however, is that the four top teams will receive home-ground advantage — unlike in previous years when the venues were drawn out of a hat.
And the semifinals will be decided by an open draw, with the competition’s organising committee also determining the venues.
PSL general manager Andrew Dipela said the venues, dates and times of games would be announced with the next 48 hours after a meeting of the organising committee.
And with goodbyes and exits in vogue, Silver Stars managing director Larry Brookstone also announced that the event would be the last in which the current Telkom Knockout champions will feature under their present name — with the Royal Bafokeng tribe having become active shareholders in the club and their wealthy platinum connections inspiring the new name of Platinum Stars. — Sapa