Vusumuzi Dube
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
DESPITE a ban in alcohol sales in South Africa that came into effect at the end of June, the Zimbabwean duo of Khama Billiat as well as Willard Katsande have received more votes to remain in the Kaizer Chiefs starting lineup for this year’s Carling Black Label Cup.
Booze sells were banned by South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa on 27 June as part of new Covid-19 measures as Mzansi faces a third wave of the novel virus.
When the ban in the selling of alcohol was announced last week, Carling Black Label South Africa encouraged those who might have still had the unique code caps lying around at home to make use of them to vote.
That call seems to have been heeded as, according to voting figures released on Monday when there were still 22 days left to vote, regardless of the alcohol ban, Billiat now has 83 506 votes to cement his place in the Amakhosi starting lineup. Last week, the 30-year-old Billiat had 71 093 votes.
Katsande on the other hand has 37 751 votes, which are the third lowest for any Chiefs player in the starting lineup. The 35-year defensive midfielder only has more votes than defenders, Reeve Frosler (37 012) and Happy Mashiane (29 217). A week ago, Katsande was on 31 167 votes.
Billiat is the third most voted for player in this year’s Carling Black Label Cup. Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune is the most popular player with 139 474 votes, up from 120 189 he had last week. Khune is followed by Serbian striker Samir Nurković who has been voted for 135 230 times, an increase from the 114 646 votes he had received a week ago.
Malawian striker, Gabadinho Mhango has the most votes for Orlando Pirates with 79 363, followed by another foreigner, Ghanaian goalkeeper Richard Ofori on 70 625 while Bafana Bafana striker Zakhele Lepasa is third with 69 964. There is still no sign of Zimbabwean Terrence Dzvukamanja in the Pirates starting lineup. Dzvukamanja found the going tough in his debut season for the Sea Robbers after joining them from the now defunct Bidvest Wits in September last year.
In the 2019 Carling Black Label Cup, Billiat was the only Zimbabwean who made it into the starting lineup when he made his debut appearance in the popular pre-season Soweto showdown. Billiat joined Chiefs from Mamelodi Sundowns in 2018 but had to wait for 2019 to make his debut in the Carling Black Label Cup. In 2018, the Carling Black Label Cup did not take place because of the Fifa World Cup in Russia. Owners of the Carling Black Label brand, AB InBev had one of the its products, Budweiser sponsor the World Cup.
Last year, the Carling Black Label Cup did not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s Carling Black Label Cup is taking place at the Orlando Stadium, with the date also changed from 31 July to 1 August. It is the first time that the match between the Soweto giants is not taking place at the FNB Stadium. The shift was necessitated by the need to avoid a clash with a Springboks versus the British and Irish Lions encounter at FNB Stadium on 31 July.
While fans will not be allowed into Orlando Stadium, organisers have given the supporters of the two teams even more powers to influence the game.
Fans will this year not only get to choose the line ups, they will also get to 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.
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Bongani Ndlovu