Carling Knockout Cup: Who Comes Closest to Kaizer Chiefs in the List of Most Knockout Cup Finals?

• The Carling Knockout Cup has arrived with Stellenbosch FC and TS Galaxy going head-to-head
• The Carling Knockout Cup is the latest in a 41-year sponsorship carousel of the League Cup
• A brand new trophy will have a brand new name as neither of the finalists have come this far

Winning a final is special but some clubs have made an art of simply reaching the final.

Stellenbosch FC and TS Galaxy make their first appearance in this competition's final, ensuring a new name on the list of winners.

Kaizer Chiefs have won a version of the Carling Knockout Cup 13 times, but how many finals have they played and who else is on the list of specialist cup runners?

The tournament was first launched in 1982 under the name Datsun Challenge. In the same vein as the Carling Knockout Man of the Match award, players would receive a Datsun sedan as a prize.

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Arcadia Shephards won the first League Cup with Kaizer Chiefs winning their first the following year. Sports Brief looks at the clubs that have made the most League Cup final appearances, as listed by SportsClub.

Who has the most League Cup appearances?

5. Four teams tied on four

Cape Town Spurs, Platinum Stars, and Jomo Cosmos have all made the final four times, with each having lifted the trophy twice.

SuperSport United have also appeared in four finals but only went all the way once. They are also the most recent winners of the quartet, finally breaking their duck in 2014.

4. Wits University

The Students have appeared in five finals, getting over the line on three occasions. They were consistent across 35 years, making their appearances between 1983 and 2017.

Their first two wins came in 1985 and 1995 but would have to wait 22 years before their next title, beating Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0.

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3. Orlando Pirates

The Buccaneers have made the final eight times. That stat is itself impressive but the remarkable fact is that the Sea Robbers have lost the final seven times.

Their solitary win came in 2011 against Wits University, but have lost twice to Spurs, and got thumped 3-0 by their Soweto Derby rivals in 2010. That meeting also happens to be the last time Chiefs lifted the trophy.

2. Mamelodi Sundowns

Ahead of Pirates due to the amount times they won the cup, Mamelodi Sundowns have also appeared in eight finals, one being the most controversial of all time.

It is an even split for Masandawana, having won the competition four times and finishing runners-up on four occasions. Their last win was in 2019 when they beat Maritzburg United 2-1.

1. Kaizer Chiefs

The undisputed Kings of the League Cup, having won this competition 13 times, losing only four of the 17 finals they have played.

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Chiefs won the Datsun Challenge once, the John Player Special Knockout four times, the Rothmans Cup twice, and the Coca-Cola Cup and Telkom Knockout thrice each.

Winning the Carling Knockout Cup at some stage is a must for Amakhosi to continue the legacy.

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Carling Knockout Cup prize money

At the launch of the competition, Sports Brief reported on the Carling Knockout Cup's prize money.

Each team has already won several million from the previous rounds which could double on Saturday.

Stellenbosch FC play TS Galaxy on December 16 at Moses Mabhida Stadium with kickoff at 3pm.