It is all system go for the annual Carling Black Label cup between arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at the FNB stadium in Soweto on Saturday afternoon. Stand tickets were sold out two weeks prior to the main event. The event did not take place last year due to the FIFA World Cup in Russia. Wayne Minaar from Johannesburg Metro Police Department has provided all the security plans for the match and, Berti Grobelaar from stadium management has encouraged fans to come to the stadium early. There will also be entertainment at the stadium prior to the match with the likes of BET award winning musician Sho Madjozi, Stokie (Amapiano DJ), Dr Malinga and Gqom princess, TDK Macasette according to Grant Pereira from the sponsor.

Orlando Pirates midfielder Linda ‘Mthakathi’ Mntambo says they hope their newly launched Class of 95’ look-alike jersey will be a good omen for the Buccaneers in the 2019/20 season. Pirates, together with adidas, launched their all-white jersey with black vertical lines at the Orlando Stadium where they hope to be hard to beat in front of the Ghosts.

Initially deemed a gimmick by many of the football purists, the Carling Cup has grown into a not-to-be-missed pre-season event that excites the legions of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates fans. This Saturday will be no different as the two Soweto giants lock horns at the FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon, (kick-off 3pm.) Retired Chiefs midfielder Josta Dladla shares his excitement for the clash.

Springboks Prop forward Lizo Gqoboka believes that their opening rugby Championships victory over Australia was the cherry on top having come off the bench to make his debut at the Emirates Airline Park this past weekend. Gqoboka flew out on Monday to join the rest of the Boks contingent in New Zealand ahead of their second clash of the competition against the All Black in Wellington this coming Saturday. Springboks scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, who last played for the Springboks four years ago, believes that he has grown his game over the last couple of years.

Cape Town City’s junior international Keith Groeneveld is excited to get his career going in South Africa. While he joined City at the end of last season, Groeneveld, who signed from Belgian giants Standard Liege, is technically a new signing at the club, and is looking forward to play his first professional game in South Africa.

First Touch Academy coach John Hlako says the Maimane Alfred Phiri Games were a good platform for his players to test themselves ahead of the upcoming national women’s football league. The Limpopo side were crowned this year’s winners in the Ladies section of the tournament in Alexander on Sunday after defeating TUT ladies 2-1 in the final. For their efforts the Academy won a trophy, gold medals and R85 000. Hlako says his charges are not too far from their peers.

Southern Kings director of high performance Robbi Kempson has revealed that the Kings board is waiting for a recommendation of a new coach from their selection panel. The Kings panel interviewed four coaches – former Springboks coach Pieter de Villiers, Worcester Warriors coach Rory Duncan, Steve Jackson, who coaches Samoa, and Free State Cheetahs forwards coach Cornelius van Zyl.

Despite the SPAR Proteas falling short of a podium finish at the 2019 Netball World Cup (NWC) in Liverpool on Sunday, they were given some consolation with the news that their wing defence Karla Pretorius was named Player of the Tournament. Pretorius was honoured during the medal ceremony in front of a packed M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.

A relatively unknown South African striker is beginning to make waves in Austria. Having scored eight goals in 10 games for 4th division side ASV 13 earlier this year, Elvin Kanyerere Modise has now moved up a tier, and has been snapped up by third division Austrian side ATSV Stadi-Paura.

Former Amajita captain Khulekani Kubheka is grateful for the opportunities he has received in football starting from playing for the national Under-17s and now being part of the squad, which is going to play in the CHAN qualifiers starting from next Sunday’s match against Lesotho at the Setsoto Stadium in Maseru. Kubheka was spotted while playing at the COPA Coca-Cola tournament in 2014.