A COACH that is no stranger to winning trophies, Jose Riveiro, offered insightful advice to the Champion Coach hopefuls ahead of the Carling Cup.
The Spaniard, one of the most successful coaches in South African football history, returned to Mzansi to share tips with the Champion Coaches who are competing to lead the Carling All-Star team on December 13, at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, against the Carling Knockout Champions.
Riveiro led the Carling All-Star team to back-to-back triumphs in the Carling Cup in 2023 against Stellenbosch FC and 2024 against Magesi FC.
He described his involvement with the Carling All-Star team as one of the most memorable moments of his career.
The 2025 edition of the tournament has brought back the iconic element of the Carling Cup – offering one lucky Champion Fan the opportunity to lead an All-Star team made up of the best talent in the Premier Soccer League.
The Champion Coach initiative – brought to South African football by the Champion Beer, Carling Black Label – captured the imagination of Mzansi Diski lovers in 2011 during the inaugural edition of the Carling Black Label Cup.
“Whoever is going to be selected to be the Champion Coach is going to be in that position because of certain attributes that they displayed during the vetting process,” said Riveiro.
“That should give them confidence that they earned their place by going through a selection process that involved thousands of candidates.
“They must be confident and believe in themselves. They mustn’t try to emulate anyone or please anyone. Be yourself!
“You must intervene when there is a need, but don’t get excited by the moment. The stage is for the players, who the people have paid money to see. So, the Champion Coach must never forget that.
“Our job is to give the players the tools to do their best.”
The search for the 2025 Champion Coach, which Riveiro is a part of, is reaching its boiling point.
Fifteen Champion Fans were selected from the millions of entries that closed on 13 November.
That group of 15 will be trimmed to 10, who will then go to a Champion Coach Selection Weekend.
That weekend will entail tactical workshops where the Champion Coaches will not only be tested but also armed with knowledge that they can use in the match and their future endeavours for the nine who won’t make the cut.
“Our Champion Fans have been voting non-stop, and we’ve now locked in a shortlist of the top fans in the country — each one standing a real chance to become the Champion Fan Coach and take their seat on the technical bench of the Carling All Stars,” said Kerryn Greenleaf, Carling Black Label’s Brand Director.
“With over 6 million votes flying in, Mzansi has once again proved the unstoppable power of our Champion Fans. This is what fan empowerment looks like!”
This fan empowerment programme will be celebrated in a story that details the journey of the Carling Cup, from its inception in 2011 to the current version that pits the Carling All-Star team against the Carling Knockout champions.
Carling Black Label is proud to bring Mzansi a story of how fans changed the beautiful game.
Champions Call, a two-part documentary which will be aired on national television , celebrates the true heroes of an experiment that changed South African football – the Champion Fans.
The first episode will air this Saturday, 22 November at 19h30 on SABC 1. The second episode will air on Saturday, 29 November 2025.
The starting XI of this year’s Carling All-Star team, that the Champion Coach will lead on the 13 December, is starting to take shape.
Kaizer Chiefs’ goalkeeper Brandon Petersen has proven to be the most popular player with more than 120 000 votes cast in his favour.
The second most popular pick is Orlando Pirates’ Diski player, Jabulani Mokone, with over 32 000 votes.
The six Premier Division slots in the Carling All-Star XI are currently filled by Petersen and Mfundo Vilakazi from Amakhosi.
The Orlando Pirates’ duo of Tshepang Moremi and Sihle Nduli, along with Mamelodi Sundowns’ Marcello Allende and Sekhukhune United’s Sikhosonke Langa, complete the list.
The five Diski players are currently the Chiefs’ pair of Naledi Hlongwane and Thulani Mabaso, alongside Sundowns’ Vincent Sithole and the Buccaneers’ duo of Mokone and Tshepo Mhlambi.
The Carling All-Star team will take on the Carling Knockout champions, who will be crowned on 6 December, at New Peter Mokaba Stadium in the final, which will be contested by Orlando Pirates and Marumo Gallants.
Should the Buccaneers win the Carling Knockout, their players in the Carling All-Star team will be replaced by the second most voted for players in their position.
To select their favourite players, Champion Fans can dial *120*660*UNIQUE CODE# and follow the prompts.
Or they can go to the website www.carlingblacklabelcup.co.za (Ts&Cs apply, USSD 20c/20s).
Image Mdu Mphahlele (Former serial Bucs Cup coach winner Jose Riveiro, returns to SA, having led the Carling All-Star team to back-to-back triumphs in the Carling Cup in 2023. He’s recorded with Carling Black Label’s Brand Director- Kerryn Greenleaf, at the media launch in Sandton, today).
