The Premier Soccer League (PSL) and MultiChoice is changing the format of its MultiChoice Diski Challenge that it started in August 2014, doubling the number of matches per season and turning it into a full league programme from 9 August that will run until June every year.
In the new format starting with the 6th season of 2019/2020 and broadcast on SuperSport on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, the MultiChoice Diski Challenge is changed into a Top 8 knockout competition, with the number of matches played that will double from 120 to 240, bumping up the festival weekends from 12 to 18.
The 16 teams competing in the Reserve League will now get to play each other twice in a season and the teams finishing in the top 8 positions moving on to compete for the Diski Shield cup competition at the start of every new season.
MultiChoice Diski Challenge soccer matches that will be broadcast live on SuperSport will almost double from 40 to 70, with the feed that will continue to be shared with several community TV stations across South Africa that are carried on DStv, and who get to simulcast the live broadcasts.
It will also mean more opportunities for upskilling and to get experience for people included in the broadcast internship programme that forms part of the MultiChoice Diski Challenge.
Matches to be broadcast live go up from 40 to over 70, intensifying the broadcast internship programme as more matches played widens the scope of the programme and will also help build content capacity for the community TV’s with whom the live feed is shared with.
"Nothing beats a competitive environment and development requires visibility," says Dr Irvin Khoza, PSL chairperson who spoke at a PSL press conference that was held on Thursday morning at the PSL head office in Parktown, Johannesburg, announcing the MultiChoice Diski Challenge format changes and expansion.
"The MultiChoice Diski Challenge has that visibility. It makes it attractive to the youth who are almost lost to football. We believe if you want to remain relevant, you must always bring fresh faces. MultiChoice has brought light to our football."
"The new format of the MultiChoice Diski Challenge will create a legacy that will benefit this country for many years to come not only the PSL clubs but also the junior national teams. This platform increases competitiveness and keeps our players active and sharp throughout the season."
Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group CEO says "When we launched the Diski partnership with the PSL 5 years ago, we could never have foreseen the incredible contribution it would make to local football".
"The MultiChoice Diski Challenge has become the cornerstone of South African football development and has seen over 150 players make the leap to professional football locally with others moving to European leagues."
"There are about 30 players called up for the 2019 Cosafa Cup, the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and the Under 20 World Cup currently taking place in Poland. It's these incredible milestones achieved in a relatively short period that have resulted in implementing an expansion to the tournament."
When we launched the Diski partnership
with the PSL five years ago, we would never have foreseen the incredible
contribution it would make to local football,” enthused Calvo Mawelo, CEO for
MultiChoice Group.
The Diski Champions Tour, the Reserve League winner's prize, will now move from March to between late-April and early-May.
