

League Cup (South Africa) (Carling Knockout Cup) - a South African professional knockout cup competition operated by the Premier Soccer League. Regulations: the tournament is contested by 16 top-division clubs, match-ups are set by draw, and every round is a single match with no replays, decided by the score after 90 minutes, and if level extra time of 2x15 minutes is played followed by a penalty shoot-out if required. The competition follows a standard 16-team bracket from the round of 16 through to the final. South Africa’s CAF club competition places are typically allocated via league and domestic-cup outcomes, so the League Cup is primarily a national trophy and prize competition rather than a direct continental qualifying route.