A festival to enjoy

Ahead of being starved of local football for the rest of November and practically all of December, this tournament is something to really get excited about. The addition of two extra teams brings new spice to the occasion, even if it will be a tough ask

for two of those sides to play two matches in a single day!

Whichever teams reach the final may need to tweak their starting XIs significantly to avoid the risk of overload and picking up muscle injuries. Nevertheless,

from 09h00 and until 19h00, we get to watch football and warm up for the FIFA World Cup. Whilst Sundowns would usually be considered the favourites, they are without Peter Shalulile

due to injury and have a slightly unbalanced XI that the supporter base has handed the technical team. Both Chiefs and Sundowns

have had two weeks without playing, so should be fresher than the teams who have just played a demanding cup final. We have individual narratives galore, not least for guys like Mathoho and Jali. Then you have the mainstays who have not won over their fans yet and have missed out on selection, such as Ashley Du Preez, Mokoena and Hotto. They will almost certainly feature as substitutes and want to prove the supporters wrong for not voting enough for them. Whilst this cup is mostly about entertainment, fan engagement and enjoyment, the clubs will all have their own takeaways from the matches. Whether it’s building player chemistry, seeing different options and formations, using guys in new positions or just avoiding injuries, there will be talking points galore. For that, we have to thank Carling Black Label.