This is going to be the best derby…

“It was the first time that had happened”

Since that first clash between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs back in 1970, the Soweto Derby has given birth to many warriors and battle-scarred individuals who knew what it meant to play against their biggest nemesis and represent millions of fans clad in their club regalia. Tinashe Nengomasha, who spent more than a decade at Amakhosi, falls into that category of players, having been part of this monumental game many times under different coaches. With the clock ticking towards the next derby, Soccer Laduma’s Beaver Nazo put a call through to the man nicknamed ‘The General’ to walk down memory lane and give his thoughts on Saturday’s fixture.

Beaver Nazo: The General, it’s the big one this Saturday at FNB Stadium, the Soweto Derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs…

Tinashe Nengomasha: Yeah, no, it doesn’t get any bigger than the Soweto Derby. I have watched derbies in the continent and across the globe, but the Soweto Derby is the only one that will give you 96 000 spectators in the continent. It is one game in the Absa Premiership that you can never predict. Despite the form, injuries and suspensions, this game always lives up to expectations. For an example, Pirates won 1-0 against Chippa United on Saturday evening and they played good attacking football, while Chiefs, on the other hand, needed the penalty shootout to beat Black Leopards on Sunday. But all of that will not have any impact come Saturday. In the Absa Premiership nowadays, you cannot take any team for granted. The Chiefs coach (Giovanni Solinas) rested some players against Leopards and I’m not sure if he was thinking about the derby or not because sometimes that plays a part.

BN: A lot of people are of the view that this game has lost its spark. Do you feel the same way?

TN: Look, football has evolved and it’s high time we all accept that. The coaches now will tell you that if you don’t concede you have more chances of winning the game. Everybody who is in football has to realise that. Yes, recent derbies have ended in low score lines. It is not just the Soweto Derby, but it is something that happens all over the world, and at the end of the day, it boils down to the tactical approach of each team. Another thing is that when I played for Chiefs, we had special players like Jabu Pule (now Mahlangu) and Arthur Zwane. You go to Pirates, you get the likes of the late Gift Leremi and Benedict ‘Tso’ Vilakazi. Those players were technically gifted and they could easily turn the game in their team’s favour. They used to be our trump card for the derby and were able to influence the result of the game. I think there are players in both teams that can do that currently, so we are going to have a game on Saturday.

BN: Let us in on the pre-match rituals that players perform for the derby.

TN: There were a lot of traditional rituals hey, ha, ha, ha. We would be told that hey you could not walk that side, rather walk this side because Pirates has already walked that side. There were a lot of things, man… some of the things we used to do, when I think of them now that I have retired, it makes me realise how important that game is and what it means to the supporters who travel from all corners of South Africa and neighbouring countries to watch it. Going back to the rituals, I really laugh at some things now. Like, you will be told, “Hey, please don’t touch anything on the side that Pirates stayed in, otherwise you’ll bring all the bad luck to the team. No one must walk that side and don’t come through that door.” Ha, ha , ha. BN: And the use of muti? TN: Ha, ha, ha, no, man, you want to put me in trouble now. Yes, there was muti usage and there were a lot of funny moments, but I cannot divulge that as I have to respect my former team. I spent 11 years at Chiefs and I regard them as my second home. But a lot used to happen, hey. Everybody wants to be involved in the derby and no one wants to be left out. You couldn’t afford to be injured. Everybody is motivated. There was a lot of singing. That was part of motivating ourselves and it used to work for us.

BN: We imagine Kaizer Motaung would come into the dressing room to address the players before a Soweto Derby…

TN: Yes, Bra K, Bobby Motaung and some of the people in Chiefs’ management would come to the dressing room. I still remember Bra K telling us, “Boys, people have died because of this game. Families have fought because of this game. The nation is divided because of this game.” All of

us knew how important winning the derby was and I’m sure the players at Chiefs now know that as well.

BN: The coaches, what do they say to the players?

TN: Both teams have coaches that know exactly what they are doing, but I can tell you now that they don’t have it easy before the derby. They know that it’s not just a game but a war that divides the nation. There’s this one derby in 2010… it was a Telkom Knockout game, when Vladimir Vermezovic was our coach. We were camping at Tsogo Sun in Sandton. We normally did the stretching in the morning and then have a team meeting. The coach actually decided that before we go to the game we must go to the hotel again. He said, “Listen here, I can see that you are all nervous. You can order wine, a shot of whiskey or anything to calm the nerves.” It was the first time that had happened in all the years I was at Chiefs. There were guys who were very happy to order a glass of wine or a shot of whiskey, but we were disciplined because we knew what we wanted and we went on to win the game 3-1. That was his way of preparing us and he was emphasizing the importance of expressing ourselves on the field of play. It helped us psychologically. Coaches have different mentalities and philosophies, but at the end of the day, they are also human. Everywhere in South Africa now, every newspaper is reporting about the derby. The other thing is that they also know that if the team loses, the first person to be blamed will be the coach. They are under pressure

for

this one. You’ll sometimes come to training and greet the coach, only to find him grumpy, and as players we would then say, “Hey, we need to win this game for our coach.” BN: We remember now that you guys really ran riot around Pirates that day. So it was the whiskey, ha, ha! Go on… TN: We used to have players like the late Shoes Moshoeu and Thabo Mooki, who were always telling us about the importance of winning this game and what it could do for you as a player. They would tell us that we need to make sure we win the individual battles and then we will remain in the history books forever. These guys used to help us a lot.

BN: Stats show that Pirates enter the last third of the field more times per game than Chiefs this season.

TN: I have been watching Pirates a lot lately and they are very dangerous. I admire Xola Mlambo in their midfield. They also have the two Zambians upfront (Justin Shonga and Augustine Mulenga), who are both very talented players. They are coached by a Serbian coach in Milutin Sredojevic and Serbian coaches like to play fast in transition. They are all like that; even Vermezovic was like that. I think Chiefs will be able to keep them under control because they have Mzansi’s finest, Itumeleng Khune, Willard Katsande, Ramahlwe Mphahlele and Erick Mathoho, experienced guys that know how to handle such situations. Khune knows how to marshal that Chiefs defence and he’s played a lot of derbies before, so he won’t have a problem safeguarding his defence.

BN: Bucs have also scored more of their goals from the counter-attack. Will Chiefs be able to cope with their breaks on the counter?

TN: Yes, they have the likes of Vincent Pule and Thembinkosi Lorch who are very good at running behind the defenders at fast pace, but I don’t think Chiefs will have too much problems in dealing with the threat they will be posing. I mean, Pirates also will have to worry about the likes of Billiat. This is going to be the best derby of recent times. But, at the end of the day, it largely depends on who shows up on match day. BN: What will liven up this derby, in your opinion? TN: The midfielders - Mlambo for Pirates and Siphelele Ntshangase for Chiefs. They are currently the best midfielders in the league. Ntshangase is settling in well, but when playing for Chiefs, you have to perform every game you play. That’s one thing I know about that team. I can guarantee you now, this derby will not be a 0-0, even if it ends in a draw. Both these teams play very good and attractive football. BN: So who has the edge?

TN: It’s always about who shows up on match day. It’s never about the previous results or performances in a derby. It’s about who wants it more, but sometimes experience comes into play in a game of this magnitude. Chiefs have a lot of players who have played big games and won big things. We are talking Khune, Mphahlele, Katsande and Bernard Parker, while Pirates are almost a new team with Happy Jele being the only one with more derby experience in their team. But, again, it will be determined by who wants it the most on match day. Sometimes a team performs well because of all the excitement and do not get to score, but the experienced players know how to kill off the game. Remember when Stuart Baxter was Chiefs coach, he would call on Josta Dladla for the derby. In all the derbies he played, he would play Dladla because of his experience.

BN: What is it like losing a derby?

TN: It’s very bad, I don’t want to lie to you bro… very bad. You know we always mourn when someone dies, but I can tell you now, the feeling of losing a Soweto derby is worse than losing someone. It is worse than that, trust me. You go to training on a Monday after the derby and it is quiet, as if someone has died. I have lost some derbies and it can affect you in the next two games. Losing a derby can destroy a player. It is unacceptable to lose a derby. You can go all the way and win the league in the same season, but in the shopping malls people will still tell you, “Hey, General, you guys lost to Pirates and please next season we don’t want to see that happening. Tell your teammates.” I remember in the 2004/2005 season, the late Ted Dumitru was our coach and we lost 1-0 to Pirates via a Joseph Makhanya strike. We went on to win the league, but to my surprise, when I got home to Zimbabwe in the off-season with my winner’s medal, people told me about how unhappy they were that we lost to Pirates. That is how important it is for Chiefs not to lose to Pirates. Imagine we are league champions but you still have to answer this question, “How can you lose the derby?”

BN: General, we appreciate your time and we hope it’s going to be a cracker of a game.

TN: The pleasure is all mine, my bro. Thank you for thinking of me before the big one.