Carling Black Label is proud to bring to Mzansi a story of how fans changed the beautiful game
Champions Call, a two-part documentary that will air on SABC 1 on 22 and 29 November, celebrates the true heroes of an experiment that changed South African football – the Champion Fans. Fourteen years ago, Mzansi’s Champion Beer, Carling Black Label, launched the revolutionary Carling Black Label Cup. The pre-season tournament, which pitted Soweto Giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates against each other, gave Champions Fans true power.
They not only selected the starting XI of both sides and made the first substitute during the game, but two lucky Champion Fans also got to lead the two clubs in a life-changing opportunity. “The Carling Black Label Cup was a true game changer, it turned couch coaches into real coaches,” said Kerryn Greanleaf, Carling Black Label’s Brand Director. “The 14-year journey of this tournament has given us some remarkable stories, like Chief “Micho” Nkoko whose life was turned around in 2017 by the Carling Black Label Cup.
“The then 30-year-old school teacher was the Consumer Coach who led Orlando Pirates. That opportunity ignited his spark for coaching. He went on to do his badges and eventually led an amateur team to the country’s national cup. “His story, and those of the Champion Fans, players and administrators that are told on Champions Call show just why we love the beautiful game in Mzansi.
“We all have an opinion on it. Instead of just shouting about it, the Carling Black Label Cup gave the Champion Fans an opportunity to influence and they took it in their strides – with millions of votes cast in two decades.”
The Carling Black Label Cup morphed into an inclusive affair in 2022 when Champion Fans selected the four teams that participated in the competition. A year later, the tournament turned into a showpiece of South African talent where an All-Star team made up of players from all clubs in the Premier Division took on the winners of the Carling Knockout. This transformation and impact in South African football is exquisitely told through people who helped shape the tournament to be the success that it is today.
The documentary features voices of fans as well as influential figures like Jessica Moatung, Bernard Parker, Itumeleng Khune, coach Steve Komphela and Victor Hlongwane who officiated in the first Carling Cup. “This is a film about breaking boundaries and bringing the fan into the boardroom, the change room and the pitch; not only barring them at the stands,” said director Valentino Mathibela. “We hear fans having a voice for the first time and their unparalleled response to new technology that would bridge the gap of communicating what their role would be; was novel.
“The documentary also celebrates loyalty and dreams that came true for armed chair critics; without whom, the sport would not be number one in South Africa. “It is an exploration of legacy, tenacity and consistency while remaining faithful to the main idea despite early rejection by other commentators and critics. “A layman coaching a professional team remains unheard of, but it became a living truth.”
To stay up to date with any further announcements, fans should check the official brand website and social media pages:
Website: www.carlingblacklabelcup.co.za
Twitter: @blacklabelsa
Facebook: Carling Black Label
Instagram: @carlingblacklabel
Official Hashtag: #CarlingKnockout #CarlingCup
