340 players have been promoted from the DStv Diski Challenge to the top-flight football league as the reserve league celebrates its 10th anniversary.

In those ten years, seven teams have been crowned champions, with Golden Arrows and Stellenbosch FC being the only teams to win it twice. Stellenbosch is the current defending champion, having clinched the reserve league in a nail-biting race that went down to the final game with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Other teams that have won the prestigious trophy include the University of Pretoria, Bloemfontein Celtic, Bidvest Wits, AmaZulu, Mamelodi Sundowns, and SuperSport United. Surprisingly, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates have yet to win the reserve league, although the latter has come close on several occasions but faltered at crucial moments.

Some of the notable players who have benefited from this tournament include the reigning PSL top scorer Tshegofatso Mabasa, three-time CAF Champions League winner Percy Tau, PSL Young Player of the Season Relebohile Mofokeng, Sundowns defender Grant Kekana, and Shandre Campbell, who recently joined Belgian club Club Brugge.

The tournament kicks off on Saturday with a festival featuring AmaZulu vs. Orlando Pirates (10:00) and Richards Bay vs. Sundowns (12:00) at King Zwelithini Stadium. Interestingly, the first match of AmaZulu and Pirates was also the inaugural game of the Diski Challenge in the 2014/15 season, where Siphesihle Sangweni made history by becoming the first player to score the first goal at the same venue.

MultiChoice’s CSI manager for sports, Sandile Luthuli, is proud of the tournament’s progress. “I remember like it was yesterday the work we did behind the scenes to make this happen,” Luthuli told Sportswire. “The longevity and consistency of the Diski Challenge as a league and its achievement have solidified its place in South African football. It would leave a big hole if it were to be removed.

“I hope moving from the next 10 years, other clubs can be able to take advantage of the system itself and use it to their advantage because a lot of clubs are gaining.”  

Luthuli hopes more clubs will take advantage of the system, as it has proven to be competitive and has produced a lot of talent. Unlike the Betway Premiership, where Sundowns has dominated for the past seven years, the DStv Diski Challenge has seen a close title race in the last four years. This has created excitement among the sponsor.

“I think the title race in the last four years has always gone down to the final day of the season,” said Luthuli. “It makes it exciting, and I think that’s due to the competitiveness and the abundance of talent in the country. There are no big teams in the Diski Challenge. In ten years, it has been won by seven different teams, which shows that anyone can win it.”