All eyes on Soweto Derby

JOHANNESBURG - Tomorrow’s Soweto Derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will take centre stage for this weekend’s DStv Premiership action.

Widely agreed to be South African football’s biggest match, the meeting of the Amakhosi and the Buccaneers at the FNB Stadium tomorrow afternoon will not have any relevance to the title (that will be won by runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns), but is a key fixture in the battle to end as runners-up and secure a spot in next season’s CAF Champions League.

Third-placed Pirates and fifth-placed Chiefs are very much in the race for second spot, alongside the likes of SuperSport United and Richards Bay, making this as much a six-pointer in a crucial league race as it is about bragging rights.

The bad news for Chiefs is that they have been in rotten form, winning just once in their last six league outings and suffering a surprise 3-2 loss to Golden Arrows last weekend. Captain Itumeleng Khune has called for patience and understanding, but time may be running short for Coach Arthur Zwane.

Challenge

“We understand Kaizer Chiefs is not the club to wait (for a long time to win titles) – you have to play every match to win and challenge for the silverware,” said the goalkeeper.

“But when you have players who are new in the set-up it becomes our responsibility as leaders and players who have been there to guide them. It’s never easy and it won’t take just one game to turn things around. It will take quite some time.”

The weekend’s action gets underway today evening with SuperSport looking to strengthen their grip on second spot with a home win over Maritzburg United, while tomorrow (after the Soweto derby) sees Western Cape sides Stellenbosch FC and Cape Town City face tricky away games against Richards Bay and Sekhukhune United respectively.

Tomorrow wraps up with a night clash between Durban rivals AmaZulu and Royal AM at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, while Sunday’s lone game sees Chippa United tackle Swallows FC at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.

AmaZulu Coach Romain Folz will be looking for a major improvement in his side’s attacking prowess compared to their limp 2-1 loss to TS Galaxy last weekend.

(Pics: Daily Star) Thousands of people turned up to take part in the annual Atherstone Ball Game - a brutal medieval football clash. The two-hour long contest is a Shrove Tuesday tradition, which dates back to 1199, when the counties of Leicestershire and Warwickshire competed to claim possession of a bag of gold. The aim of the game is to be holding the ball come the final whistle. Rules are few and far between, although it goes without saying that you’re not allowed to kill anyone. The action has also been restricted to Long Street since the 1970s, before which the whole town was in play.