The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda recently in Johannesburg, South Africa
FOOTBALL fans the globe over are the hardest stakeholders in the world’s most beautiful to please. Before, during and after a match, football supporters have so many opinions on who should start a match, the substitutions to be made, formation the coach should have employed and which player should have taken a penalty just in case their team gets awarded a spot kick. When the match comes to an, the fans also have a lot to say on which players were outstanding and should have won the Man of the Match accolade.
It is for this reason that the organisers of the Carling Black Label Cup, a pre-season football match between South Africa’s Soweto rivals, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates decided to empower the most important stakeholder in the game, the fans by getting them to have a big say on this fixture.
When the Carling Black Label Cup started in 2011, fans were given the power to choose the line ups by submitting an eleven-digit code which is found on Carling products and have their vote registered. Customers also chose which substitutions to make in-game by voting via text message. Two lucky fans, one from each team also had the once in a lifetime opportunity of being “champion coaches” on the day on the matchday. Champion coaches get to be present at their team’s training sessions, pre-match briefings and be part of the dugout with their favourite team.
Samuel Eto’o with Carling Black Label brand director Arne Rust and AB InBev marketing director Vaughan Croeser at the Carling Black Label Cup official launch
Last year, the Carling Cup did not take place because of the coronavirus pandemic and it is making a return in 2021 with some exciting innovations introduced. This year’s Carling Black Cup was officially launched in Johannesburg last Tuesday at a spectacular event attended by Cameroonian football legend, Samuel Eto’o, former Senegalese footballer Alassane N’dou, coaches, players as well as supporters of both teams.
Carling Black Label brand director, Arne Rust took the audience through the innovations that have been introduced for this year’s showdown between Amakhosi and the Buccaneers to spice things up. While the fans will sadly not be there due to Covid-19 restrictions, they have even more say in this year’s Carling Label Cup, which iss taking place on 31 July and kicking off under floodlights for the first time since its inception.
Fans will this year not only get to choose the line ups, they will decide on the captain of their respective team on the day, the formation to be used, who takes the first penalty to be awarded to their team during the game, make live substitutions on Twitter and also choose the Man of the Match.
“We still believe in empowering our fans, in giving the power to the coaches, to the fans on the benches. This year, what we definitely won’t change is empowering our champion fans, we are still giving you an opportunity as a fan to choose your starting XI. We are also bringing you game changers, but what’s different this year is that you don’t have to choose your game changers, we are giving you the game changers, we want to make you as a coach have the most power that you can to give your team the best chance to win on Derby Day,” said Rust.
Because of the belief that knowledge is power, Rust further stated that they have entered into a partnership to provide information and statistics on players that can assist the fans to make more informed decisions when they are voting.
Eto’o feels giving the fans so much to influence this fixture is a great idea.
“Its an incredible idea, I’ve never seen this kind of involvement by fans. I was happy when I heard about this idea to give the give the power to the fans, its an incredible idea, I don’t know where this idea is coming from,’’ said Eto’o.
Asked about the five game changers,which one excites him the most Eto’o said he loved the fact that fans have to choose their team’s formation. Eto’o even came up with a suggestion that he plays 10 minutes for each of the teams on the day. It remains to be seen if this does take place on the day of the match.
Gavin Hunt and Josef Zinnbauer would have made be making their coaching debut in the Carling Black Label Cup but it will be German who looks set for that bow since Hunt was shown the exit door by Chiefs last Friday. Zinnbauer likes the idea of giving supporters power to have an influence in the game since they always have so much opinion.
“Supporters after a game, they have all these ideas, now you have a chance to bring your own idea in a game, with your formation, with your substitutes, with the penalty shoots,’ whatever you can do in this game, you can do, you have a big chance,’’ Zinnbauer said.
Pirates defender, Happy Jele and Kaizer Chiefs striker Bernard Parker spoke of how hard it has been without the fans backing them in the stadium.
Samuel Eto’o with Bernard Parker and Happy Jele at the Carling Black Label Cup official launch
“It’s been really difficult, we feel it as players, we do definitely miss them, its been difficult without them but we are professionals, we know that we have to do the job, we have to make sure that we do the job as professional as we can,’’ Parker said.
Jele is yearning for the day the fans make a return because for him it has been strange playing in empty stadiums.
“It’s been difficult, we need that 12th man on the field, they motivate us each and every game, they keep us going. Its very strange when you go to the stadium and there are no fans. We wish that the few seasons coming that they going to come back again,’’ said Jele.
While the fans will sadly not be part of the Carling Black Label Cup when it makes a return this year, one thing for is that the supporters will have a huge say before, during and after the match. -@Mdawini_29
