Comment by Matshelane Mamabolo
We all agree that the Soweto Derby is South Africa's biggest sport event, right?
After all, what other match has the ability to get nearly the entire country interested?
An old colleague used to say that such is the high importance of the derby that those who dare schedule any other gatherings on the same day as when Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs play, run the risk of having no one attend those.
He actually said you organise a funeral on derby day at your own peril, because you are likely to have no one to support you in your mourning.
Such is the reality of the Soweto Derby that even those who don’t support any of the two teams are somewhat always affected by this gigantic soccer tie.
My experience of the Soweto Derby dates back to many years ago when as a young boy, I became aware of the professional game in the country and started listening to matches being broadcast on the radio – and later watching on television to then being a part of it as a reporter.
Here’s four off-the-pitch lingering memories I have of the Soweto Derby...
BULLIED OUT OF SUPPORTING CHIEFS
Such is the nature of South African football that as youngsters we support the clubs our elders back.
I grew up in a family of Kaizer Chiefs fans, and from six years old, I supported Amakhosi. That all changed when I was 10 years old, thanks to a big bully called Peter Mothotoana at primary school.
I was classmates with him from the age of nine then, and while he was in the same class, Peter was much older and bigger.
He hardly ever gave us a chance to celebrate Chiefs victories, particularly against his beloved Orlando Pirates, Peter often beating us up should he catch us excited about anything Chiefs related.
It did not help that we were once also beaten up by a teacher for writing the names of our favourite clubs on the back of our school shirts prior to derby weekend.
Was this Chiefs worth suffering so much for? I wondered.
Then after about three years of suffering at bully Peter’s hands, I decided to switch allegiance to a club only those close to me know, although I must say there was also an influence by another classmate who opened my eyes to the beauty of what became my new club.
LIVID BUCS SECURITY CHASES ME (and female colleague) AWAY
Way before the advent of social media, covering soccer matches involved making trips to the club’s dressing rooms to get team line-ups.
Clubs posted the sheets on the doors for us to write down and then head to our work stations – on the touchline (before the advent of press boxes).
At the old FNB Stadium, even though it had a press box, we still had to go deep into the bowels of the monstrous arena for the line-ups and during one Soweto Derby, I inadvertently committed the unforgivable crime of taking a female colleague down to the dressing room with me.
The tunnel leading up to the dressing rooms was pretty long, and we were some way off when the Pirates security guards spotted us coming.
One of them came running to me, gesticulating wildly to say ‘go away’ and then shouting at the top of his lungs “Mamaboloini o letha mfazi la (why are you bringing a woman down here).
My colleague, shook as she was by the screaming and clear anger of the security, retreated before we reached the ‘no-go zone’.
Said security then explained to me that females are not allowed near the team prior to the match because of traditional beliefs.
I wonder what happens now with Thandi Merafe being the club’s media officer...
DERBY PRE-MATCH RITUALS RUN PRETTY DEEP
The use of muti in the derby is common knowledge, with many a former players having opened up about the rituals they underwent at either of the two giants.
I discovered first hand just how deep the beliefs run within these two teams on a Tuesday prior to derby weekend.
A friend from India had visited the country and I took him on a tour of Soweto, and to finish it, we went to the FNB Stadium, post the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
They took us on a tour of the stadium, but when we went deep into the bowels ,the guide took to show us the dressing rooms, only to be met by stern looking men you dared not mess with, both sitting at the entrance towards each of the dressing room.
Each club had a security guarding their dressing room, and upon enquiring with those close to the club, I found out that there is so much mistrust that they each have to guard their area, lest the other uses muti that would foil their chances of success.
Fascinating, right?
The discerning football fan would also have seen during pre-match how both sets of players walk on to the pitch and then sprinkle what is clearly muti into the goals and on the pitch, no doubt in the belief that whatever they have been given by their juju-man will help them succeed. If only...
I THOUGHT I’D LOST MY BROTHER
The Ellis Park disaster of 2001 is an episode in the beautiful story that is the Soweto Derby best forgotten.
Yet how can we forget when it touched so many of us?
I had not gone to that stadium that Wednesday night, working as I was for the weekend newspapers (Saturday Star and Sunday Independent) and thus not required to report live.
But my younger brother is a big Chiefs fan and he went.
When those horrific scenes were beamed on the television, I immediately called him to check how he was.
His phone didn’t ring and I feared the worst – as I suspect just about everyone who attempted to get hold of their loved ones did.
There was a very bad signal at the stadium that night and for – what felt like an eternity – we could not get hold of anyone at Ellis Park.
I received calls of panic from those who knew I worked in the game, checking if I was at the stadium and okay. And then my brother called to say he was okay. Relief...