There were not many surprised looks on the faces of those in attendance at the NASREC Exhibition Centre in Johannesburg when the Premier Soccer League and Telkom announced the four teams that would be participating in the 2006 Telkom Charity Cup.

Bloemfontein Celtic ended off in the voting poll as the team who garnered together the most amount of votes and with 303 757 SMS and Telephonic votes the lead the way, with PSL Champions Mamelodi Sundowns in second place with 330 168 votes. Sundowns were followed by Pirates who missed out on last years event but this time around their supporters managed to put together 260 126 votes, to ensure 3rd place and confirm their spot for Saturday’s soccer festival.

The Amakhosi were the fourth and final team to make it into the pot as they rounded off the four team tournament by polling in 239 071 votes, which was 36 071 more than Black Leopards who missed out on participating in this year event as they finished off in fifth place.

With the formalities out of the way it was down to the business end of the Telkom Charity Cup with the draw of who will face whom in Saturday’s season opening spectacular, there was a huge roar of applause when it emerged. That Chiefs will be playing against PSL Champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the second game of the day, in a clash that will see the PSL Champions taking on the ABSA Cup Champions.

Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp who was on a bus with the rest of the Chiefs on the way back to Johannesburg from Bloemfontein, where they participated in the Mangaung tournament.

Ernst broke to the news to his players and technical team before commenting “somehow I had a feeling we were going to play Sundowns and I have no problem with that. We need to face our main opposition some time and it is better sooner rather than later”.

The Amakhosi coach also added “the fact that we the National Cup Champions and they the PSL Champions makes our encounter against them a kind of a Super Cup, having a chance to go at Sundowns so early in the season is something we must take advantage of”.

Speaking on behalf of Mamelodi Sundowns club PRO Alex Shakoane said of Saturday’s match up,

“from our side we are happy to play Chiefs, it gives us the opportunity to get the best out of our players and the only way we can do so is by playing against the best teams”.

PSL spokesperson Ntambi Ravele stated that for security reasons, this year's event will see games kicking off half an hour earlier than in previous years

. The first game is due to begin at 09h30 on Saturday morning and the second game will take place at 11h30.

Tickets for the event, which went on sale last week at a cost of R35, are currently on sale at Computicket, Checkers and Shoprite outlets nationwide.

With the Telkom Charity Cup draw out of the way, Chiefs will briefly turn their attention to the SAA Supa 8 when the tournament is launched at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg on Tuesday Morning. The event will be played in the same format as previous teams.

The draw for the event will be done according to the best worst seeding method, which means that Chiefs who finished off last season in 3rd place will take on the team that finished off in sixth place, which was Lamontville Golden Arrows.

The teams will have to wait for Tuesday’s draw to find out who will have home advantage as well as the dates when the games will take place.

2006 Telkom Charity Cup

5th August

FNB Stadium Johannesburg

Game1: Bloemfontein Celtic Vs Orlando Pirates

Kick Off: 09h30

Game: 2 Mamelodi Sundowns Vs Kaizer Chiefs

Kick Off: 11h30

Game: 3 FINAL

Kick Off: 17h00