Carling Knockout Quarter Final: Teams, Fixtures and Dates
The Carling Knockout quarter-final draw is out: Stellenbosch v AmaZulu, Pirates v Sekhukhune, Chiefs v Siwelele and Sundowns v Golden Arrows. Here are the dates, round-of-16 results, TV channels, prize money and the road to the December 12 final.
- The quarter-finals are Stellenbosch v AmaZulu, Orlando Pirates v Sekhukhune United, Kaizer Chiefs v Siwelele and Mamelodi Sundowns v Golden Arrows, home side first.
- The PSL has set aside the weekend of November 6–8 for the ties; exact dates, venues and kick-off times were still to be confirmed as of October 29, 2026.
- Stellenbosch completed the last eight by winning 2-0 at Durban City. The semi-finals are on November 21–22 and the final on December 12, worth R6.85 million to the winners.
The Carling Knockout quarter-final teams are Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, Stellenbosch, AmaZulu, Sekhukhune United, Siwelele and Golden Arrows. The draw on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, paired Stellenbosch with AmaZulu, Pirates with Sekhukhune, Chiefs with Siwelele and Sundowns with Golden Arrows, and the PSL has set aside the weekend of November 6 to 8 for the ties.
As of October 29, 2026, the league had not fixed exact dates, venues or kick-off times, saying in its draw report only that they would be confirmed "in due course". Stellenbosch completed the line-up by winning 2-0 at Durban City shortly before the draw. Below are the fixtures, results, TV details, prize money and key dates.
Carling Knockout quarter final fixtures
These are the four ties, with the home side named first. The PSL's report confirms home advantage for Chiefs and Stellenbosch, and SuperSport's fixture list also names Pirates and Sundowns as hosts.
- Stellenbosch FC vs AmaZulu FC: the 2023 winners against an AmaZulu side the PSL describes as in form under coach Arthur Zwane.
- Orlando Pirates vs Sekhukhune United: the holders against a team they have already beaten three times this season.
- Kaizer Chiefs vs Siwelele FC: the record 13-time winners at home to the club that knocked out Polokwane City on penalties.
- Mamelodi Sundowns vs Golden Arrows: a rematch of this season's MTN8 semi-final.
Because the draw was seeded, Pirates, Chiefs and Sundowns were kept apart, as Soccer Mag points out. If all three win their ties, at least two of them will meet in the semi-finals.
When are the Carling Knockout quarter-finals?
The PSL's draw procedure notice of October 27 set the quarter-finals for the weekend of November 6 to 8, the semi-finals for November 21 and 22 after the international break, and the final for Saturday, December 12. The tournament's Wikipedia page lists the same semi-final and final dates.
Some sources narrow the window. Kaizer Chiefs and AfricaSoccer both say the ties fall on November 7 and 8. SuperSport's fixture page currently shows all four on Friday, November 6, with kick-off marked TBC, which looks like a placeholder. No individual match date is official yet.
Venues are also open: Chiefs say venue and ticket details will follow once the league confirms them. Last-16 kick-offs were at 15:00, 18:00 or 19:00 South African Standard Time (SAST), two hours ahead of GMT and UTC.
The four Carling Knockout quarter-final ties
Stellenbosch vs AmaZulu
Stellenbosch were the last team through. Sinoxolo Kwayiba scored in the 84th minute and again in stoppage time to win 2-0 at Chatsworth Stadium, EWN and the club report. It was their first win over Durban City in four meetings, after three draws, and the club says it is their third straight quarter-final.
Substitute Lateef Kazeem set up both goals, the second going into an empty net with Durban City's goalkeeper upfield, the club says. Durban City had lost Gaston Sirino to injury after 16 minutes, AfricaSoccer reported. AmaZulu got through with Hendrick Ekstein's second-half penalty at Kruger United, per AfricaSoccer, and the PSL suggests this may be the hardest tie of the round for Stellenbosch.
Orlando Pirates vs Sekhukhune United
The holders, who beat Marumo Gallants 1-0 after extra time in the 2025 final, opened their defence by beating Milford 3-0. Thapelo Mokobodi scored once and Tshepang Moremi twice, SABC News reported. Sekhukhune beat Richards Bay 3-1 with goals from Chibuike Ohizu, Thabang Makubo and Bethuel Muzeu, according to SuperSport.
Pirates have won all three meetings with Sekhukhune this season, EWN and Afrik-Foot note. Two of those came in the MTN8 semi-final, which Pirates won 4-0 on aggregate after a 3-0 home win on August 29, according to the club's report.
Kaizer Chiefs vs Siwelele
Wandile Duba scored all three goals in Chiefs' 3-0 win over TS Galaxy at FNB Stadium, in the 48th, 62nd and 66th minutes, the PSL reported. Siwelele drew 0-0 with Polokwane City after extra time and won the shoot-out 4-3, FARPost recaps.
The sides met in the league on September 6, when Chiefs won 3-2 at Dobsonville Stadium with goals from Mfundo Vilakazi and Duba plus an own goal, according to the Chiefs match report. Chiefs have won this cup a record 13 times but not since 2010, Afrik-Foot notes.
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Golden Arrows
Sundowns beat last season's runners-up Marumo Gallants 1-0 through Siyanda Ndlovu's 20th-minute goal, according to SABC News. Afrik-Foot says Ndlovu now faces his former club. Arrows thrashed Chippa United 4-0 in Mandla Ncikazi's first game back in charge, FARPost reported.
The two met in the MTN8 semi-final in August. Arrows won the first leg 1-0 in Pretoria, but Sundowns won 3-2 in Umlazi and went through on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate, the PSL reported. Sundowns then beat Pirates 2-0 in the October 10 final, the PSL's MTN8 page shows.
Carling Knockout 2026 round-of-16 results
Results, cross-checked between the PSL, FARPost and Wikipedia:
- Sat, Oct 24: Golden Arrows 4-0 Chippa United
- Sat, Oct 24: Polokwane City 0-0 Siwelele (Siwelele won 4-3 on penalties)
- Sun, Oct 25: Kruger United 0-1 AmaZulu
- Sun, Oct 25: Sekhukhune United 3-1 Richards Bay
- Tue, Oct 27: Orlando Pirates 3-0 Milford FC
- Tue, Oct 27: Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 Marumo Gallants
- Tue, Oct 27: Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 TS Galaxy
- Wed, Oct 28: Durban City 0-2 Stellenbosch FC
The round produced 18 goals in eight games, and Duba's was the only hat-trick.
How the quarter-final draw worked
The PSL made the draw on the pitch at Chatsworth Stadium straight after the Durban City game. FARPost says the evening was shown live on SuperSport channel 202 and SABC Sport. Under the league's published procedure, the four quarter-finalists who finished highest in last season's Premiership went into one pot and were kept apart, and the first club drawn in each tie got home advantage.
Every round is a single match. A tie still level after 90 minutes goes to extra time and then penalties, as Siwelele's win in Polokwane showed.
How to watch the Carling Knockout quarter-finals
SuperSport and SABC Sport both cover the competition, but channels for the quarter-finals had not been announced as of October 29. In the last 16, ESPN listed six games on SuperSport PSL (DStv channel 202) and the other two on channels 205 and 207, also on DStv Stream.
SABC's coverage has varied from match to match, so check SABC Sport and SABC+ listings for each tie. We found no official broadcaster outside South Africa.
Carling Knockout prize money
The winners receive R6.85 million and the runners-up R2.85 million, according to EWN and FARPost. The rest of the scale comes from 2025, when the Kaizer Chiefs website listed R1.35 million for each beaten semi-finalist, R850,000 for each beaten quarter-finalist and R550,000 for a last-16 exit.
Afrik-Foot's competition guide says there is still no sign those lower amounts will change for 2026. On last year's scale, winning a quarter-final is worth at least R500,000 more to a club than losing one.
Key dates to the Carling Knockout final
- Sat, Oct 31: Soweto Derby in the league, Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates, per the PSL's match report.
- Wed, Nov 4: all PSL league games postponed because of the local government elections, Kaizer Chiefs said.
- Weekend of Nov 6–8: quarter-finals; exact dates, venues and kick-offs to be confirmed.
- Sat–Sun, Nov 21–22: semi-finals.
- Sat, Dec 12: final; venue not yet announced.
Ticket details will come later. The PSL warns that tickets bought from third parties will not get fans into stadiums, Afrik-Foot reports.
Our take
Based on the reporting above, the seeding has favoured the big three on paper: each is at home to a club that finished below them last season. But this cup rarely follows the form book. Stellenbosch and Magesi won the first two revived editions, and AmaZulu's form makes Stellenbosch's tie look the most open.
For Chiefs, a home tie against a side they beat in September is a real chance to move closer to ending a 16-year wait. Sundowns, meanwhile, know from the MTN8 that Arrows can beat them.
How to follow the Carling Knockout
- The PSL website for the official quarter-final schedule, venues and results.
- SuperSport's Carling Knockout fixtures page and the DStv guide for channels.
- Club websites for tickets and team news.
For England's equivalent competition, see our Carabao Cup quarter-final draw guide.
Frequently asked questions
Who is in the Carling Knockout quarter-finals?
Eight clubs: Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, Stellenbosch, AmaZulu, Sekhukhune United, Siwelele and Golden Arrows. The October 28, 2026 draw produced Stellenbosch v AmaZulu, Pirates v Sekhukhune, Chiefs v Siwelele and Sundowns v Golden Arrows, with the home side named first.
When are the Carling Knockout quarter-finals?
The PSL has scheduled them for the weekend of November 6–8, 2026, and Kaizer Chiefs and several outlets give November 7–8. As of October 29, exact dates, venues and kick-off times had not been confirmed. The PSL says it will announce them in due course.
What channel will show the Carling Knockout quarter-finals?
SuperSport and SABC Sport cover the competition, but channels for each quarter-final had not been announced as of October 29. In the last 16, most games were on SuperSport PSL (DStv channel 202), with others on channels 205 and 207 and on DStv Stream.
Who did Kaizer Chiefs draw in the Carling Knockout quarter-final?
Chiefs will host Siwelele FC. Chiefs beat Siwelele 3-2 in the league on September 6 and reached this round by beating TS Galaxy 3-0, with Wandile Duba scoring a hat-trick. The venue and kick-off time have not been confirmed.
When is the Carling Knockout final 2026?
The PSL has set the final for Saturday, December 12, 2026, with the semi-finals on November 21 and 22. The venue had not been announced as of October 29. The winners receive R6.85 million and the runners-up R2.85 million.
Sources
- Carling Knockout quarterfinal draw served up, Premier Soccer League
- Carling Knockout Cup: Quarterfinals Draw Procedures, Premier Soccer League
- Duba hat-trick sends Chiefs into CKO quarterfinals, Premier Soccer League
- Sundowns survive Arrows thriller to reach MTN8 final, Premier Soccer League
- MTN8, Premier Soccer League
- Kwayiba brace sends Stellenbosch into Carling Knockout quarterfinals, EWN
- Carling Knockout Cup: PSL confirms last 16 fixtures, EWN
- Carling Knockout fixtures, SuperSport
- Durban City vs Stellenbosch FC, SuperSport
- In-form Sekhukhune march on as Richards Bay crash out, SuperSport
- Chiefs to face Siwelele in Carling quarterfinals, Kaizer Chiefs
- Chiefs vs AmaZulu fixture postponed, Kaizer Chiefs
- Amakhosi return to winning ways against Siwelele, Kaizer Chiefs
- Amakhosi to face Stellies in Carling Knockout Cup, Kaizer Chiefs
- Clinical Kwayiba downs Durban City to help Stellies advance in CKO, Stellenbosch FC
- Bucs Through to MTN8 Final, Orlando Pirates FC
- Carling Knockout quarter-final draw: Kaizer Chiefs, Pirates and Sundowns learn opponents, AfricaSoccer
- Kwayiba double sends Stellenbosch FC into Carling Knockout quarter-finals, AfricaSoccer
- Ekstein penalty sends AmaZulu FC into Carling Knockout quarter-finals, AfricaSoccer
- Carling Knockout Cup quarter-final matchups confirmed, FARPost
- Carling Knockout: Golden Arrows crush Chippa as Siwelele sneak past Polokwane City, FARPost
- Carling Knockout draw: Pirates, Chiefs, and Downs avoid each other in last eight, Soccer Mag
- Pirates, Chiefs and Downs learn Carling quarter-final rivals, Afrik-Foot
- Carling Knockout 2026-27: Dates, Fixtures, Tickets and all you need to know, Afrik-Foot
- 2026 Carling Knockout Cup, Wikipedia
- 2025 Carling Knockout Cup, Wikipedia
- Carling Knockout round of 16: fixtures, kick-off times, format, how to watch, ESPN
- Bucs thump Milford in Carling Knockout Cup, SABC News
- Sundowns edge out Marumo Gallants to advance in Carling Knockout Cup, SABC News
How we wrote this
GessyMorgan explainers are built from public reporting and official sources. This post draws on the 29 sources listed above, each linked where we use it. It was drafted with AI assistance and checked against those sources before publishing. We did not test products, attend events or interview anyone for this article. Facts are current as of October 29, 2026, and we update the post when they change.
