The Carling Knockout Cup kicks-off for the 2024/25 season on Friday as the 16 topflight teams go head-to-head in a knockout format, with four wins needed to lift the trophy.
We look back at five of the best finals in the competition over its various guises down the years since it was first played in 1982.
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1992
AMAZULU 3-1 KAIZER CHIEFS
After extra-time
One of the most famous days in AmaZulu’s history as they took on the much more fancied Kaizer Chiefs in the final of the Coca-Cola Cup and returned home with a comprehensive win, which is incidentally also the last time they lifted a trophy!
Chiefs would end up league champions this season and had a superb team packed with stars such as Doctor Khumalo, Tovey, Lucas Radebe, Fani Madida and Ace Khuse. But it was Usuthu, who had a poor league campaign and ended 15th, who took the lead through Simon Magagula. Johannes Phadime equalised for Chiefs, before further goals from their star striker George Dearnaley and Ephraim Mwale took Usuthu to the famous victory.
In three days, the #CarlingKnockout gets underway.@KaizerChiefs goalkeeper Brandon Peterson talks about what it would mean to win the competition.
— Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) October 15, 2024
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1994
QWAQWA STARS 3-2 HELLENIC
After extra-time
A five-goal thriller that ended in victory for QwaQwa Stars, who would later go on to change their name to Free State Stars and become a fixture in the South African topflight until their relegation in 2019.
This would be their first major trophy win as Bunene Ngaduane scored a brace and Meshack Tsotetsi netted in the first minute of extra-time to seal victory for the team. Hellenic were denied the trophy but scored goals through David Peterson and Gerald Stober.
1998
KAIZER CHIEFS 2-2 MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
After extra-time; Chiefs won 2-1 on penalties
A game for the ages between the top two teams of the era with the drama of a penalty shoot-out as Chiefs finally won 2-1 via Pollen Ndlanya’s kick in sudden death.
Chiefs were ahead in the game after just a minute as Thabo Mooki scored, but Sundowns equalised on 75 minutes when Joel Masilela blasted past Brian Baloyi in the Chiefs goal. Alex Bapela put The Brazilians ahead in extra-time, but Siyabonga Nomvethe sent the game to penalties after he collected Neil Tovey’s long ball to make it 2-2.
2001
KAIZER CHIEFS 5-0 JOMO COSMOS
For eight years this was the biggest winning margin ever in a South African cup final as Chiefs overwhelmed Jomo Cosmos, before Lamontville Golden Arrows took that mantle with their 6-0 thrashing of Ajax Cape Town in the 2009 MTN8 decider.
Chiefs were simply too good for Ezenkosi as they took the lead in the first half through current assistant coach Arthur Zwane. Cosmos hung in there until the final 20 minutes, when the AmaKhosi ran riot as Kenny Niemach added a second, Jabu Pule (now Mahlangu) got two more and Stanton Fredericks put the cherry on top with a fifth.
2014
SUPERSPORT UNITED 3-2 PLATINUM STARS
After extra-time
One of the best cup finals in any competition South African history for drama, this game had everything and was a thrill-a-minute from start to finish. Stars took the lead through Robert Ng’ambi as he fired past Ronwen Williams in the SuperSport goal, but Clayton Daniels drew Matsatsantsa level with a penalty 10 minutes before the break.
The game went to extra-time and SuperSport went ahead with a second penalty from Daniels. Stars, who were defending champions, equalised via a thumping Mogakolodi Ngele volley from the edge of the area, before Williams saved a penalty from Eleazar Rodgers and then made an even better stop from the rebound.
That might have sealed it for Stars, but SuperSport went up the other end and got the winner via former Dikwena stalwart Thuso Phala.