COACHES might sometimes believe supporters have been smoking their socks, so outlandish can the fans’ demands be on who should or shouldn’t be in their favoured clubs’ line-ups.

But the devout followers of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates have displayed sound knowledge and sensible coaching nous in the voting up until now for the line-ups of Saturday’s pre- season Carling Black Label Cup at FNB Stadium.

In fact, coaches Stuart Baxter of Chiefs and Pirates’ Augusto Palacios might have chosen similar line-ups themselves to those displayed on the competition’s website yesterday.

Felicia Ntisa of M-Sportsmarketing, the company promoting the Carling Cup, said 19,3 million votes had been cast by yesterday morning.

Stadium Management South Africa, which oversees 94000- seat FNB Stadium, announced on Friday that stand tickets had been sold out. Ntisa said 30 percent of hospitality suite tickets still remain.

Voting closed at midnight last night, and Ntisa said an official team announcement will be made tomorrow, once the auditors have approved the process.

Both frontline goalkeepers, Chiefs’ Itumeleng Khune and Pirates’ Moeneeb Josephs, were set to make the cut.

Amakhosi’s defence included new signing Morgan Gould. Captain Jimmy Tau was the front-runner for right-back despite recovering from a serious ankle injury, Jimmy Jambo for left- back, and Siboniso Gaxa favoured to partner Gould in the centre of defence.

Chiefs’ midfield is likely to have Abia Nale on the right, George Lebese on the left, Reneilwe Letsholonyane in defensive midfield and Josta Dladla at playmaker, with Lehlohonolo Majoro and Bernard Parker the frontrunners at striker.

For Pirates, the selected back four consists of Happy Jele (another player on the comeback trail from a serious injury), Lucky Lekgwathi, Siyabonga Sangweni and Rooi Mahamutsa. Mark Mayambela and Sifiso Myeni were favoured out wide in midfield, on either side of Andile Jali and Oupa Manyisa. Benni McCarthy and Tokelo Rantie should turn out at striker.

Carling line-ups as voting stood yesterday

Kaizer Chiefs: Khune – Tau, Gould, Gaxa, Jambo – Nale, Letsholonyane, Dladla, Lebese – Majoro, Parker

Orlando Pirates: Josephs – Jele, Lekgwathi, Sangweni, Mahamutsa – Mayambela, Jali, Manyisa, Myeni – Rantie, McCarthy