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

The 2025-26 Carling Knockout final is finally set after Orlando Pirates and Marumo Gallants booked their tickets for the decisive match which will be played at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Pirates booked their place 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.

That sees coach Abdeslam Ouaddou of Pirates set up a meeting with his former team with Pirates looking to win the Carling Knockout just for the second time since their only triumph in 2011 while Bahlabane Ba Ntwa are eyeing their first-ever crown.

The final has been set on Saturday December 6 at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, giving the two sides a month to prepare for the big match, with Pirates looking to make it two domestic trophies already, having won the MTN8 earlier in the season.

“We are proud to announce that the Carling Knockout final, between Orlando Pirates and Marumo Gallants, will take place at Peter Mokaba Stadium, right in the heart of Limpopo,” said Kerryn Greenleaf, Carling Black Label’s Brand Director.

Kick off time for the final is yet to be confirmed as well as ticketing information. Keep it Afrik-Foot for more details about this.

The final is set ✅@OrlandoPirates and @MarumoGallants will face off in the #CarlingKnockout final on Saturday, 6 December at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Kick-off time is to be confirmed. pic.twitter.com/T7uH04ydaQ

— Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) November 9, 2025

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.

“Fans were treated to pure football drama in the semi-finals. Now, all roads lead to Polokwane on 6 December for what promises to be an electric final,” Greenleaf added.

Carling Knockout Cup prize money 

The winner of the Carling Knockout last season Magesi pocketed R6.85 million, with the runner-up Sundowns 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.

Aw bathi Fak’ iGoal Uzobona! ⚽💰 It’s been raining goals in the #CarlingKnockout Round of 16 and our Champion fans have been scoring big too!🔥

Here’s how Fak’ iGoal Uzobona works 👇
1️⃣ Before kick-off, predict the exact minute 🕰️ the first goal ⚽️ will be scored.
2️⃣ If your… pic.twitter.com/IMRibk6hqf

— Carling Black Label ᅠᅠᅠᅠ (@blacklabelsa) October 8, 2025

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
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 has so far received over 6.1 million votes.

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 for Carling Knockout final are priced at R50 each and can be purchased at Ticketpro outlets nationwide or online at Ticketpro.