MatchPlay 13 vs TAB Soccer 13: What's the Difference
MatchPlay 13 and TAB's Soccer 13 are two separate 13-match soccer pools that get confused constantly, partly because MatchPlay 13 is still widely nicknamed "Soccer 13" even on its own results sites. They are run by different operators, on different fixture lists, with different notation and different prize structures. This page sets the two side by side so you can tell, from your own ticket, which one you actually played.
Two products, one nickname
MatchPlay 13 is the National Lottery's football pool, run by Sizekhaya Holdings, which took over the National Lottery licence from Ithuba on 1 June 2026 and renamed SportStake to MatchPlay in the process (see our Ithuba/National Lottery page for the full list of what changed). Even the third-party results site za.national-lottery.com describes its own game as "Matchplay 13 (also referred to as Soccer 13)", which is exactly the source of the confusion: it shares a nickname with, but is not, TAB's own Soccer 13, which is hosted by Svenska Spel in Sweden and settled through TAB, not the National Lottery.
Side by side
| TAB Soccer 13 | MatchPlay 13 | |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | TAB, pooled with host Svenska Spel (Sweden) | Sizekhaya Holdings, National Lottery operator since 1 June 2026 |
| Regulated as | A licensed tote pool | A National Lottery game under the Lotteries Act |
| Fixtures | TAB's own Soccer 13 fixtures card (Saturday pool, and a separate Sunday/midweek pool) | A National Lottery fixture list, refreshed every Monday and Friday morning |
| Notation on your ticket | 1 = Team A (home) win, 2 = draw, 3 = Team B (away) win | 1 = home win, X = draw, 2 = away win |
| Cost per line | R1.60 (Saturday pool) or R2.00 (Sunday & midweek pool) | R2.00 per board |
| Minimum correct to win anything | 10 of 13 | 10 of 13 |
| Does extra time count? | No, 90 minutes plus injury time only | Yes, 90 minutes plus extra time; penalty shootouts never count |
| Unplayed match | Every choice on that leg qualifies; if not rescheduled within 2 days, decided by a 16-lot computer draw | Every choice on that leg is settled as correct, no lot draw |
| Spending cap | R60,000-equivalent (in Swedish krona) per customer per pool, syndicates banned | R2,000 maximum stake per betslip |
Notation is the single biggest source of mix-ups
On a TAB Soccer 13 ticket, 2 is always the draw. On a MatchPlay 13 betslip, the draw is marked X in the middle column, and 2 means an away win instead, per za.national-lottery.com's own how-to-play page, which describes marking "1 for a home win, X for a draw, and 2 for an away win" on the betslip. If you check a MatchPlay result using TAB's numbering, or a TAB result using MatchPlay's, you will misread roughly a third of your legs. Always confirm which product your ticket or slip is for before comparing it to a results page.
Prize structure: percentages either way, published odds only on one side
Both games ultimately come down to the same 3 results across 13 legs, which is 3 to the power of 13, or 1,594,323, possible combinations. TAB does not publish odds for Soccer 13 on its own site. MatchPlay 13 does: za.national-lottery.com's FAQ states odds of 1 in 1,594,323 for the top division and roughly 1 in 607 of winning any prize at all, describing these as the odds if results were entirely random (soccer results are not, so they are an approximate guide only, not a certainty in either direction).
MatchPlay 13 funds its four divisions from 50% of ticket sales revenue, split 30% (13 correct), 15% (12 correct), 20% (11 correct) and 35% (10 correct) of that prize fund, per the same source. TAB Soccer 13 splits its net pool 39%/22%/12%/25% across the same four tiers on its Sunday and midweek pool, or 40%/15%/12%/25% (plus 8% held for a Guaranteed Fund) on its Saturday pool, per TAB's own Chapter 6 rules.
Frequently asked questions
Is MatchPlay 13 the same thing as Soccer 13?+
No, though the name confusion is common enough that even MatchPlay 13's own results site calls it "also referred to as Soccer 13". MatchPlay 13 is a National Lottery game run by Sizekhaya Holdings. TAB's Soccer 13 is a separate tote pool hosted by Svenska Spel in Sweden. They use different fixtures and pay different dividends.
Why does 2 mean different things on the two tickets?+
TAB writes Soccer 13 as 1, 2, 3, where 2 is the draw. MatchPlay 13 writes its betslip as 1, X, 2, where X is the draw and 2 is the away win. Check which product your ticket is for before reading the result, or you will misread the draw and the away win for each other.
Does extra time count in either game?+
Only in MatchPlay 13, where the result is taken at the end of 90 minutes plus any extra time played (penalty shootouts never count). TAB's Soccer 13 result is fixed at 90 minutes plus injury time only; extra time never changes a TAB Soccer 13 result.
Which one pays more?+
Neither reliably pays more than the other; both are pools, so the payout depends on how much was staked and how many tickets matched each round, not on a fixed price. MatchPlay 13 publishes its approximate odds (about 1 in 607 to win anything, 1 in 1,594,323 for the top prize, treating results as random); TAB does not publish equivalent odds for Soccer 13.
What happens if a match on either list is not played?+
Both games count every choice on that leg as correct once it is abandoned. TAB's Soccer 13 has an extra step first: a match not completed is given 2 days to be rescheduled before it falls back to a computer-supervised lot draw. MatchPlay 13 settles an unplayed match as correct for everyone straight away, with no lot draw.
Reviewed for responsible-gambling compliance by Priya Naidoo.