The Telkom Knockout has reached the quarterfinal stage in 2014 and we relflect back on the key numbers from the tournament both past and present. 0 – Orlando Pirates have met quarterfinal opponents Ajax Cape Town in four previous Telkom Knockout matches and never beaten them! This includes losing finals in 2000 and 2008 to the Urban Warriors. 0 – The number of times top club SuperSport United have won the Telkom Knockout. Time to make history? 1 – Kaizer Chiefs have already defeated quarterfinal opponents Platinum Stars three times this season, but in Telkom Knockout games they have won just one of their previous four meetings, losing the other three! 1 – The only other Telkom Knockout meeting between BidVest Wits and their quarterfinal opponents SuperSport United ended in a 0-0 draw in the semifinals in 2004. SuperSport won 4-3 on penalties. 2 – Two matches in the Last 16 went to extra-time this year, though both were settled before penalties were needed. Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Tshwane rivals University of Pretoria 2-1 while AmaZulu edged Bloemfontein Celtic 3-2. 2 – Ajax Cape Town striker Thabiso Nkoana currently leads the scoring charts after the Last 16 this year having been the only player to net twice in the first round. 3 – The most number of goals scored by a team in the Last 16 of this year’s tournament. Three sides managed it – BidVest Wits, AmaZulu (after extra-time) and Ajax Cape Town. 4 – Teams must win four matches to lift the trophy – in the Last 16 round, quarterfinals, semifinal and the grand final. 4 – Mamelodi Sundowns have played AmaZulu four times in Telkom Knockout matches since the formation of the PSL and never lost, with three wins and a draw. 5 – The number of goals Kaizer Chiefs scored against Jomo Cosmos in the 2001 competition final. It was the biggest ever win in a South African domestic final until Lamontville Golden Arrows defeated Ajax Cape Town 6-0 in the 2009 top eight decider. 8 – All eight home sides in the first round of the 2014 Telkom Knockout won their ties – that is using homeground advantage to the maximum! 8 – Orlando Pirates have the worst conversion rate of reaching finals and not lifting the trophy – they have appeared in the decider eight times and won just once, a win percentage of just 12.5%! 16 – The number of finals Kazier Chiefs have appeared in for their 13 tournament victories. The next highest is Pirates with eight trips to the decider. 20 – The amount of goals scored in eight matches of the Last 16 of the Telkom Knockout this year. 60 – Remarkably, both Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs have played 60 Telkom Knockout competition games since the formation of the Premier Soccer League in the 1996/97 season. 97 – The number of goals scored by Orlando Pirates Telkom Knockout competition games since the formation of the PSL, the most by any side. Can they reach their century against Ajax Cape Town? 100 – The only 100 percent win record of teams to have appeared in two finals or more belongs to Umtata Bush Bucks, who defeated Santos (1993) and QwaQwa Stars, now Free State Stars (1986). 1982 – The first year the Telkom Knockout competition – then known as the Datsun Challenge – was played. It is therefore the youngest of South Africa’s current domestic cup competitions. 14 200 000 – The total prize money in Rands on offer to teams in this year’s Telkom Knockout.
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 11:11:32 +0000
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