By Sy Lerman
The slogan for the Premier Soccer League's new Telkom Knockout competition promises "it's a whole new ball game" - and when it comes to cold cash it was patently clear the sponsors were not kidding when the tournament was launched at a function in Johannesburg on Monday.
The event, which kicks off at the end of the month, boasts a winners incentive of R4,25-million - a massive 70 percent increase on the PSL's previous top money prize and edging towards the continent's R7-million for the club annexing Caf's prestigious Champions League title.
The runners-up prize for the Telkom Knockout will amount to a hefty R1,75-million and even Premier League clubs losing in the first round of the competition will receive a tidy R450 000.
'Soccer remains the country's No 1 sport'
The total prize money for the 16 teams will amount to R14,2-million and while it was not officially announced, a PSL official disclosed that the annual sponsorship would in its various facets be worth R30-million to the League.
"Soccer remains the country's No 1 sport," said Telkom CEO Papi Molotsane, whose company also sponsor the annual Telkom Charity Cup, "and with this in mind we were determined to raise the bar to a level where it belongs."
It will now be interesting to see whether the move has started a "sponsors war" as PSL CEO Trevor Phillips is undoubtedly hoping, with others in the fold following suit.
Some sponsors, however, are already squealing that "the bar has been raised too high".
Apart from the prize money, the Telkom Knockout will be almost identical to the Coca-Cola Cup, which it replaces on the PSL calendar.
The outcome of each tie will be decided on a single-game knock-out basis, with extra-time and penalty kicks the decider if necessary.
And the seeded draw for the initial round, which was made at Monday's spectacular launch, immediately threw the cat among the pigeons with a series of intriguing clashes.
Glamour clubs Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs were all drawn against clubs who have provided them with a succession of unexpected headaches in recent Premier League games.
League champions Sundowns are up against AmaZulu, who held them to a draw, Pirates play Maritzburg United, who beat them in one of the stunning upsets of the season and Chiefs are pitted against Wits University in a repeat of the unsavoury occasion when supporters went on a spree of vandalism at FNB Stadium after Amakhosi's defeat.
In addition, Pirates and Chiefs were drawn away from home to make their tasks fraught with a trickier assortment of obstacles.
Telkom Knockout first-round games:
Mamelodi Sundowns vs AmaZulu
Maritzburg United vs Orlando Pirates
Wits University vs Kaizer Chiefs
Benoni Premier United vs Moroka Swallows
Silver Stars vs Bloemfontein Celtic
Ajax Cape Town vs Lamontville Golden Arrows
Back Leopards v SuperSport United
Jomo Cosmos vs Santos. - Sapa
