Carling Knockout 2025-26: Final details, Tickets and all you need to know

Orlando Pirates finally ended their Carling Knockout hoodoo when they beat Marumo Gallants 1-0 to win the trophy that had been eluding them since 2011.

Pirates had only won the trophy once in the competition’s 41-year history with painful losses experienced along the way but on Saturday December 6, 2025, they banished those bad memories in the final at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

It was, however, not a straight forward win for the Buccaneers as Gallants made them work for their win with a defensive performance that took the game to extra-time.

Rele Mofokeng comes up trump

It is in the first half of the additional 30 minutes that Relebohile Mofokeng came up clutch yet again in another cup final, slotting in from close range to give Pirates the lead, which they held on to claim the trophy and the R6.85 million winners’ prize.

It has been a great season so far for Pirates, who had already won the MTN8, but this is just their second Carling Knockout trophy since the first one in 2011.

Pirates had booked their place in the final after beating Richards Bay 1-0 on Saturday November 9 while Gallants sealed their ticket after edging out Golden Arrows 4-2 on post-match penalties after the match had ended 2-2 in regulation time.

It was also a meeting between coach Abdeslam Ouaddou of Pirates and his former team Gallants, a second one this season, and after losing the first one, a 2-1 defeat in the PSL in August, he won the one that mattered most, denying Bahlabane Ba Ntwa a chance to win their first-ever Carling Knockout trophy.

Carling Knockout Results  

The opening round of the Carling Knockout was thrilling, with several teams advancing to the quarterfinals.

Round of 16

• Durban City 4–1 Polokwane City (AET)
• Golden Arrows 3–1 Sekhukhune United
• Orlando Pirates 1–0 Siwelele
• Orbit College 0–1 TS Galaxy (AET)
• Mamelodi Sundowns 0–0 Marumo Gallants (Gallants won 7–6 on penalties)
• Stellenbosch 0–0 Kaizer Chiefs (Stellenbosch won 5–4 on penalties)
• Richards Bay 4–1 Chippa United
• AmaZulu 2–3 Magesi

Quarter-finals

• Richards Bay 3–1 Durban City (AET)
• Golden Arrows 2–1 TS Galaxy (AET)
• Orlando Pirates 2–1 Magesi
• Marumo Gallants 4-0 Stellenbosch

Semi-Finals

Richards Bay 0-1 Orlando Pirates

Golden Arrows 2-2 Marumo Gallants

(Gallants win 4-2 on penalties)

Road to the Final

Both finalists overcame tough semi-final battles in Durban:

• At Moses Mabhida Stadium, a sold-out crowd witnessed Orlando Pirates edge Richards Bay FC in a thrilling contest.
• Over at King Zwelethini Stadium, Marumo Gallants held their nerve in a dramatic penalty shootout against Golden Arrows.

Final

Orlando Pirates 1-0 Marumo Gallants (AET)

Relebohile Mofokeng scored the only goal in extra-time after Marumo Gallants’ defensive approach frustrated Pirates for most of the game.

Carling Knockout Cup prize money 

Orlando Pirates pocketed R6.85 million for winning the 2025 Carling Knockout with the runner-up Marumo Gallants walking away with R2.85 million.

On the other hand, the semi-finalists received R1.35 million, the quarter-finalists earned R850,000, and the teams knocked out in the last 16 only gained R550,000.

Carling Cup Previous Winners

Kaizer Chiefs is by far the most successful side in the history of the Carling Cup, South Africa’s own version of the League Cup with 13 victories, more than three times as many as the next best, though the last triumph came all the way back in 2010.

A total of 18 clubs have been champions in its various guises since it was first played in 1982, though only one has managed to get into double figures and stands head and shoulders above the rest on the winners’ list.

Team	Title(s) Won
Arcadia Shepherds	1982
Durban Bush Bucks	1987
Dynamos	1991
AmaZulu	1992
Qwaqwa Stars	1994
Orlando Pirates	2011, 2025
Bloemfontein Celtic	2012
SuperSport United	2014
Cape Town City	2016
Baroka	2018
Stellenbosch	2023
Umtata Bush Bucks	1993, 1996
Ajax Cape Town	2000, 2008
Jomo Cosmos	2002, 2005
Platinum Stars	2006, 2013
Bidvest Wits	1985, 1995, 2017
Mamelodi Sundowns	1990, 1999, 2015, 2019
Kaizer Chiefs	1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010
Magesi	2024

Carling All-Star Team Voting

Once again, this year’s winners of the Carling Knockout will get to face a Carling All-Star team that will be made up of players from the 15 other premier division clubs.

Voting is open as of 8 October and will run until 10 December and fans have an opportunity to vote for Champion Captain as well.

Champion fans can vote for their favourite players from all 16 PSL teams even If they get eliminated from the Carling Knockout tournament, by simply purchasing a promo 750ml or 500ml Carling Black Label, dialling *120*660*UNIQUE CODE#, and following the on-screen prompts.

The All-Star team will be made up of six premier division players and five from the Diski teams. This pits upcoming stars against the game’s current stars.

Carling All Stars XI

The fans have spoken! 🔥

Presenting the #CarlingCup All-Stars squad ready to take on @orlandopirates this Saturday, 13 December at Moses Mabhida Stadium. 🏟️

🎟️ Get your tickets for R40 at Open Tickets outlets and online: https://t.co/tSKy3kTWa8 pic.twitter.com/vX5rpmzjlD

— Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) December 9, 2025

The Carling All Stars XI is dominated by Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns players who will be looking to beat Carling Knockout champions Orlando Pirates in the Carling Black Label Cup on Saturday, December 13, 2025 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Carling All Stars XI

Brandon Petersen – Kaizer Chiefs

Keabetswe Khonyane – Siwelele FC

Sikhosonke Langa- Sekhukhune United

Vincent Sithole – Mamelodi Sundowns

Thabo Nkabinde – Mamelodi Sundowns

Marcelo Allende – Mamelodi Sundowns

Thulani Mabaso – Kaizer Chiefs

Mfundo Vilakazi – Kaizer Chiefs

Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo – Marumo Gallants

Naledi Hlongwane – Kaizer Chiefs

Arthur Sales – Mamelodi Sundowns

Carling Black Label Cup

The Carling Black Label Cup between the All-Star team and the Carling Knockout champions will be held on 13 December 2025 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

The match will be broadcast on SuperSport TV and SABC.

Fans Take Charge

The semi-finals lit up South African football, with Champion Fans casting nearly 140,000 votes for Man of the Match and participating in the Fak’iGoal Uzobona initiative, which rewards early goals.

• Pirates earned R48,000 thanks to Tshepang Moremi’s 42nd-minute strike.
• Golden Arrows pocketed R37,000 via Isaac Cisse’s 53rd-minute goal.

Players from Richards Bay and Golden Arrows are now eligible for the Carling All-Star team, which will face the Carling Knockout champions in Durban on 13 December.

Fans can select their favorite players via USSD (120660*UNIQUE CODE#) or visit www.carlingblacklabelcup.co.za (Ts&Cs apply).

One lucky fan will even get the chance to coach the All-Star team, after completing a rigorous process to prove their tactical acumen.

Carling Knockout Tickets

Tickets will go on sale at 10h00 on Friday, 28 November 2025, and will be available at Open Tickets outlets nationwide, including Shoprite and Checkers stores. Fans can also purchase tickets online via www.opentickets.co.za.

• General Access Tickets: R100 each
• Purchase Limit: Maximum of four tickets per transaction

The PSL urges supporters to buy tickets only through official channels. Tickets purchased from third parties will be invalid and will not grant entry into the stadium.