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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
IF this year’s Carling Black Label Cup votes are anything to go by, then clearly Kaizer Chiefs’ faithful still enjoy romance with Zimbabwe midfielder Willard Katsande.

The Amakhosi supporters wanted to watch Katsande in action in this year’s Carling Black Label Cup against Orlando Pirates on Sunday, but the combative midfielder will not be part of the pre-season Soweto showdown, as he has been let go by the Glamour Boys.

Though organisers are yet to reveal the final results of voting, which closed on Tuesday, the last published results on Monday showed that Katsande was in line to start the game on Sunday.

Katsande, who started for Amakhosi in their 3-0 defeat to Al Ahly in the Caf Champions League, had received 53 428 votes on Monday to start in midfield against Pirates.

Katsande released an emotional statement addressed to Chiefs’ fans on Wednesday thanking them for their support throughout his decade-long stay at Naturena, the club’s headquarters.

His countryman Khama Billiat had accumulated 114 701 votes, while goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune received the most votes with a massive 178 152 followed by Serbian striker Samir Nurkovic with 177 601.

For the Buccaneers, Malawian striker Gabadinho Mhango had the most votes with 103 008 votes followed by another foreigner, Ghanaian goalkeeper Richard Ofori with 94 348.

Having not taken place in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Carling Black Label is making a return in 2021, albeit without the fans.

This year’s Carling Black Label Cup is taking place at the Orlando Stadium, marking the first time the match between the two Soweto rivals is not taking place at FNB Stadium.

The shift was necessitated by the need to avoid a clash with the Springboks against the British and Irish Lions encounter at FNB Stadium tomorrow.

Fans get to choose the two teams’ line-ups for the Carling Black Label Cup, and also get to decide on the captain of their respective team on the day, the formation to be used, who takes the first penalty to be awarded to their team during the game, make live substitutions on Twitter and also choose the man of the match. — @innocentskizoe