Cape Town - The annual pre-season Carling Black Label Cup between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will not take place this year due to the World Cup during June and July.

The competition started in 2011 and the Buccaneers are the most successful team having won four of the crowns on offer.

The CBL Cup offers a unique format in that fans are asked to vote for the players they would like to see selected.

Nonetheless, the sponsors of the event have called the tournament off due to a conflict of interest with the global showpiece in Russia.

"The Carling Black Label Champion Cup will be postponed in 2018, to allow our new stable-mate in the AB InBev portfolio, Budweiser the King of Beers, to activate their global sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup, over the June and July period," the statement read. 

"AB InBev intends to leverage the company’s global sponsorship of the FIFA 2018 World Cup to bring fans a unique and engaging experience of the global showpiece. Activities are planned in South Africa throughout the duration of the tournament, over June and July, the period which traditionally hosts the Carling Black Label Champion Cup.

"Our partners, Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Stadium Management South Africa are supportive of our decision and commitment to broaden our horizons, as ultimately this is for the empowerment of champion fans throughout the country.'

Meanwhile, Carling Black Label director Grant Pereira added: "Our commitment to local football, and the fans of local football, is stronger than ever before.

"In August 2018 we will launch our new partnership with the Premier Soccer League, which aims to bring our consumers an unprecedented fan experience throughout the season, across all 16 teams, and in 2019 we expect to bring back the Carling Black Label Champion Cup in a refreshed format."