Wow! What a terrific Soweto derby performance with both Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs going at each other throughout the game at the packed FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Hats off to both coach Jose Riveiro and Cavin Johnson for playing their cards open, getting rid of the ‘play not to lose’ mentality which has been taking away from this historic clash for years now. These coaches were brave enough not to stifle their players, allowed their teams to have a serious go at it, which is something this match has lacked for a very long time now.
Because of the significance of this clash, coaches – especially when under tremendous pressure with the results not forthcoming – tend to protect their jobs by playing not to lose and hope to pull off a smash-and-grab so as to pull a wool over their team’s supporters’ eyes and buy themselves some time in the hot seat. These two gentlemen didn’t do that and, despite their teams’ indifferent form, they respected the unwritten law between the two teams to make this match a spectacle! Anyone who watched these teams for the first time on Saturday would think they were challenging for league honours, when all they could really battle for was a second spot. This was, undoubtedly, one of the best Soweto derbies one has ever witnessed and certainly a Soweto derby to remember! It was the best in recent years because there were thrills and spills throughout the game. The atmosphere was just unbelievable! As mentioned and anticipated in last week’s column, the supporters came out in their numbers to play their part, as they came to witness what was expected to be a humdinger. As much as we challenged the players to show up in that same editorial, it is only fair that we come back this week, on the same platform, to say: Bravo, gents! Indeed, you showed up and delivered beyond expectation! Thank you, for that! The supporters were magnificent and this is what should be the standard performance and experience when we watch two of the biggest teams in the country taking to the field, regardless of the opposition.
It is not every derby that we get to witness five quality goals! That’s what we want to see more of and certainly what football is all about! These are moments we, as the supporters, live for. The moments we go to the stadiums yearning for and the moments that keep us coming back. It comes as no surprise to still hear people talking about the derby almost a week later because, for the first time in a while, there was so much that one could take home. Pirates supporters dominated the stands just like their team dominated the goal-scoring opportunities. Credit to both sets of supporters for gracing the occasion and creating such an amazing atmosphere for the players to express themselves. There is still the ugly head of a section of our people with hooliganism tendencies that we need to root out from our Beautiful Game. Another very important aspect that needs urgent attention is traffic control outside the stadium. It leaves a lot to be desired because so much time is wasted unnecessarily. It is not right to delay the game, especially when the players have already gone through their warm-up routine because it upsets their rhythm. That is why sometimes players take longer to get going, their focus or reaction time during the game can be off because their warm-up was disrupted. These are simple things that we seldom take into account but they make a huge difference.
