Kaizer Chiefs player Paseka Mako challenges for the ball against Stellenbosch FC midfielder Devin Titus during the Betway Premiership League at the FNB stadium.
Image: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers
WE’VE GOT A SOWETO DERBY of the walking wounded on our hands South Africa! Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will clash in the country’s foremost match on Saturday nursing the pains of defeat. It is a recipe for a cracker of a match right?
The need for redemption should surely serve as added inspiration for the local giants.
Chiefs, having enjoyed a good laugh at seeing their arch-rivals suffer back-t-back defeats to Mamelodi Sundowns and Casric Stars in the league and the Nedbank Cup respectively last week, spurned an opportunity to send their opponents quaking in their boots here Tuesday night.
Instead of confirming the pre-match statement of their co-coach Ben Youssef Khalil that they are still in the running for the championship, Amakhosi contrived to make their title dreams just that – dreams.
The sooner they wake up to the realisation that possession football and fancy build-up play with countless passes without incisive finish does not deliver silverware the better for the Glamour Boys who look set for a barren season.
On a cool evening that saw a sizeable crowd of their loyal fans descending upon the calabash, Amakhosi looked all swanky as they knocked the ball about, their entries into the final third sending the crowd into frenzied excitement.
But with just one of those inroads finding its way past Sage Stephens the risk of them being pegged up always loomed large against a team coached by a man renowned for his knack of counter-attack play.
Gavin Hunt’s Stellies eventually cancelled out Chiefs’ lead before stealing the maximum points late on to leave Amakhosi with a massive hangover going into Saturday’s derby.
How Khalil and his colleague Cedric Kaze deal with it in the next two days will become clear on Saturday when they face a Pirates side with stresses of their own following their exit from the Nedbank Cup that was preceded by a league defeat that has seen champions Sundowns somewhat back in the title race driving seat.
Kaizer Chiefs supporters a picture of dissappointment after their side lost 2-1 to Stellenbosch in the Betway Premiership League match at the FNB stadium on Tuesday night.
Image: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers
The defeat aside, Chiefs would have been pleased with the limited shift that debutant Ethan Chislett pulled. Signed amidst much fanfare from England last year, Chislett somewhat became a myth of sorts given his not getting the much-awaited derby.
He looked pretty decent in his fist outing, spraying some superb through passes to release the forwards who really should have done better with the opportunities they were provided. He covered good ground as he looked hungry for the ball and even assisted with defensive duties.
Khalil expressed delight with Chislett’s shift and the new man could well have raised his hand in a big way to make the Soweto Derby starting line-up.
Alongside him, Lebogang Maboe whose ejection from the field late on met with disapproval from the fans, there was not a lot about Chiefs’ performance that would have sent the Buccaneers’ quaking in their boots.
But then again, it is not as though Pirates’ recent showings were the kind to have Khalil and Co fearing a smashing at the weekend.
That should be the perfect recipe for a great Soweto Derby, right?