Chiefs and Pirates slump to silence-inducing derby draw
In what must have been a record 14-minute news conference after a Soweto derby‚ the media were out of questions on yet another draw‚ 1-1 this time‚ between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Perhaps that was partly because‚ and especially after what transpired at FNB Stadium on Saturday‚ neither of these teams can realistically call themselves Absa Premiership title challengers any longer.
And yes‚ realistically‚ that statement does appear to include Chiefs.
When you are in fourth place on 35 points from 20 games‚ and the team behind you in fifth are African champions Mamelodi Sundowns‚ and they have 33 from 16‚ then things start to look not so good.
Chiefs coach Steve Komphela put on a brave face and said that — on points alone — he believed the race to be wide open. But‚ again realistically‚ Amakhosi are relying on Sundowns‚ and their most dangerous challengers‚ Bidvest Wits (37 points from 18 games)‚ to slip up drastically somewhere between now and late June.
Amakhosi went to seven matches unbeaten against Pirates. But their four points dropped from Saturday’s draw and the same result away against Ajax Cape Town in their previous game appear to be a crippling blow even with Cape Town City’s victory against Sundowns on Friday night throwing the league race open.
“There is always pressure. As much as you know the results of your opponents‚ your objective is to get through your own match‚” Komphela said. “And our objective was to get three points from this one.
“We still have a lot of matches to play. And the championship based on the difference in points is still wide open. It might go to the last game of the season.”
Meanwhile, Kjell Jonevret lapped up the atmosphere of his first Soweto derby‚ and by the end was satisfied‚ having had a penalty let-off‚ that Orlando Pirates managed a competitive 1-1 draw against Kaizer Chiefs.
“It was a fantastic atmosphere. We are lucky — not just the clubs‚ but the league in SA — to have a game like this‚” Jonevret raved of the famous match afterwards.
“There are many countries who would be jealous of not having this game. It’s a fantastic thing that you build up for a week. It was great.”
Bucs‚ who remain struggling in 10th place have another tough assignment against third-placed SuperSport United at Orlando Stadium in their next fixture on Tuesday night.