Telkom Knockout Tournament - The Contenders
AJAX CAPE TOWN
Telkom Knockout Wins: 2 (2000, 2008)
First round tie: vs Free State Stars (home)
Ajax have been good in knockout competitions of late and indeed were cup finalists in the Telkom Knockout earlier this year before eventually going down 2-1 to Kaizer Chiefs. Dutch coach Foppe de Haan has settled in nicely at the Urban Warriors after a slow start and they will once again be one of the leading contenders for the title this year. With skill all around the park, they are also extremely well organised and difficult to break down, and have two excellent strikers in Terror Fanteni and Stanton Lewis.
AMAZULU
Telkom Knockout Wins: 1 (1992)
First round tie: vs Kaizer Chiefs (home)
Usuthu have a new coach this season in Manqoba Mngqithi, who led Lamontville Golden Arrows to the Top Eight title last year, proving he knows how to win major cup competitions. He has brought his usual free-flowing style to AmaZulu and they are a delight to watch, though early season suggests there is a fallibility at the back that he will want to fix fast. The KwaZulu-Natal club reached two semifinals (including the Telkom Knockout) and a final last year, but failed to collect any silverware. In Kaizer Chiefs they have a stern opening round test if they want to change that statistic.
BIDVEST WITS
Telkom Knockout Wins: 2 (1985, 1995)
First round tie: vs Santos (home)
Bidvest Wits are the 2010 Nedbank Cup champions and so have some recent pedigree in major cup finals. They are a young squad that has been superbly moulded by coach Roger de Sa, and they have proven already this season that they will be a tough nut to crack after a comprehensive 3-0 win over League champions SuperSport United and a deserved draw with Orlando Pirates. They will be delighted with a home draw in the first round, as they are not the best of travellers, and have already lost once to Santos (1-2) away from home this season in the League. De Sa will know all about the Cape side though, having coached them from 2005 to 2007.
BLOEMFONTEIN CELTIC
Telkom Knockout Wins: None
First round tie: vs Maritzburg United (home)
Bloemfontein Celtic have shown plenty of promise in the last few seasons, but the owners will be desperate to see that potential turned into silverware. They have a new tactician in Clinton Larsen, who is in his first head coach role in the top-flight, and an exciting squad of players who like to keep the ball on the ground. They can go aerial too though with giant striker Nathan Paulse in their ranks. They can perhaps be considered Dark Horses for the title and will have welcomed their first round draw at home to Maritzburg United.
FREE STATE STARS
Telkom Knockout Wins: 1 (1994)
First round tie: vs Ajax Cape Town (away)
Stars are already on their second coach of the season after the return of 'prodigal son' Steve Komphela to replace the Zimbabwean Sunday Marimo. Komphela enjoyed great success with the Free State side as a player in the late 1980s and early 1990s (when they were known as QwaQwa Stars), and also led them to fourth in the League just two seasons ago before he left for Platinum Stars. They have enough talent in their squad to upset any side, but do rely on home advantage quite a bit, so will have been dismayed at a trip to Cape Town to face Ajax.
KAIZER CHIEFS
Telkom Knockout Wins: 12 (1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010)
First round tie: vs AmaZulu (away)
Chiefs have been the undisputed kings of the PSL's Knockout competition down the years with 12 titles to their name, including when they won the competition earlier this year. To put that into perspective, Bush Bucks are next on the list of most wins with three. AmaKhosi will once again be among the hot favourites as coach Vladimir Vermezovic has built a side that is very hard to break down. They don't concede many, and at the other end they have a potent striker in young Zimbabwean Knowledge Musona. The number 13 is lucky for some, will Chiefs make it 13 Telkom Knockout titles this year?
LAMONTVILLE GOLDEN ARROWS
Telkom Knockout Wins: None
First round tie: vs Orlando Pirates (home)
Golden Arrows claimed a first-ever major trophy when they won the Top Eight last season, but suffered a blow with the loss of coach Manqoba Mngqithi, who defected to city rivals AmaZulu. They have replaced him with former Macedonian national coach Zoran Filipovic, and is has to be said, so far so good! Abafana Bes'thende have been in excellent form after an opening day blip against Kaizer Chiefs, and are managing to net goals from everywhere, as evidenced by the two goals scored by right-back Mzuvukile Tom. They are playing an attractive, attacking style, and will no doubt welcome the challenge of Top Eight champions Orlando Pirates in the first round.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Telkom Knockout Wins: 2 (1990, 1999)
First round tie: vs Platinum Stars (away)
Considering their success down the years, Sundowns have been underachievers in the Telkom Knockout competition with just two wins in their history, the last of which came 11 years ago. The Brazilians have a formidable squad this year though, on paper the best in the division, and new coach Antonio Lopez Habas seems to have got them playing well as a unit. Habas has stressed that the League is the major focus for him this year, if he wants to keep his job that is, but there is no doubt that a win in the Telkom Knockout will go a long way to appeasing the club's billionaire owner Patrice Motsepe.
MARITZBURG UNITED
Telkom Knockout Wins: None
First round tie: vs Bloemfontein Celtic (away)
United have had a slow start to the season, but coach Ernst Middendorp will know all too well that he has a squad capable of beating anybody in the top-flight on their day. An away trip to Celtic in the first round of the Telkom Knockout is a daunting task, but not insurmountable for a United side that were unlucky not to beat Kaizer Chiefs earlier in the season when they played to a 1-1 draw. The club have not made much of an impression on cup competitions since their elevation to the top-flight ahead of the 2008/09 season, but this is the perfect chance to change all that.
MOROKA SWALLOWS
Telkom Knockout Wins: None
First round tie: vs Mpumalanga Black Aces (home)
Swallows were losing finalists in the Top Eight competition, but showed enough during their run to the decider that they have what it takes to lift another piece of silverware following their 2009 Nedbank Cup triumph. They have made a habit of coming back from adversity this season and one thing is for sure, there is plenty of character in this group of players. They will miss the considerable talents of striker Siyabonga Nomvete, who is likely to be absent for the majority of the Telkom Knockout with a long-term wrist injury.
MPUMALANGA BLACK ACES
Telkom Knockout Wins: None
First round tie: vs Moroka Swallows (away)
Black Aces just survived relegation last season and they have not started the current campaign well either, leading to the departure of coach Aki Agiomamitis, who has been replaced by Neil Tovey. The latter was instrumental in AmaZulu reaching two cup semis and the Nedbank Cup final last season, where they eventually lost 3-0 to Bidvest Wits. His priority will be on keeping AmaZayoni up this year, though a good cup run in the Telkom Knockout will certainly bring much-needed confidence to his players.
ORLANDO PIRATES
Telkom Knockout Wins: None
First round tie: vs Lamontville Golden Arrows (away)
Amazingly, Pirates have never won the Telkom Knockout competition in all its various incarnations, this despite being a dominant force in South African football for so many years. They will be hoping to build on the success of their recent Top Eight win though, which gave them a first major knockout trophy success in a decade. They have quality all through their squad, though they do perhaps do lack a 'killer' goalscorer, and will be one of the heavy favourites to lift a first Telkom Knockout trophy this year.
PLATINUM STARS
Telkom Knockout Wins: 1 (2006)
First round tie: vs Mamelodi Sundowns (home)
Platinum Stars picked up a first major cup trophy when they won the 2006 Telkom Knockout as a Simba Marumo hat-trick earned them a 3-1 win over Ajax Cape Town. That result was achieved under coach Owen da Gama, who has now returned to the club this season after a few years away at Orlando Pirates, Free State Stars and Bloemfontein Celtic. The problem for Da Gama is that he takes over a much poorer squad of players, and by his own admission has had to instill the 'gees' back into a group that were low on confidence after a poor 2009/10 campaign. Sundowns first up is a big challenge, but with all the pressure on the away side, Stars know they have nothing to lose.
SANTOS
Telkom Knockout Wins: None
First round tie: vs Bidvest Wits (away)
There is never all that much written about Santos, but the Cape Town club continue to find success in the top-flight following their fourth-place finish last year. They have started the season well again, having managed to hold on to the majority of last year's star players, and as ever they will be a difficult side to break down. Coach Boebie Solomons is a master at taking hard-working sides and turning them into winners, and that is exactly what he has done once again in his second spell with Santos.
SUPERSPORT UNITED
Telkom Knockout Wins: None
First round tie: vs Vasco da Gama (home)
United may have won the League championship for the last three seasons running, but they have a surprisingly poor record in cup competitions in that time. In fact, they have won just one cup game out of their last five in all competitions, and have not collected a knockout trophy since claiming the 2005 Absa Cup. They have made a sluggish start to the 2010/11 campaign as well, but remain a side packed with quality, and as ever have a number of exciting young talents to watch out for. Surely they are due a change of luck in the cups?
VASCO DA GAMA
Telkom Knockout Wins: None
First round tie: vs SuperSport United (away)
Vasco are in their maiden season in the professional ranks and have so far equipped themselves quite well. Coach Carlos das Neves has built a squad based mainly around loan signings from other PSL teams and had managed to bring in a number of quality performers, including veteran striker Sibusiso Zuma, who will be so key to their chances this season. A first round draw away to SuperSport presents a challenge for the side, but in a season when expectations are low, it is a chance for these players to prove they can mix it with the big boys.