Soweto giants, stand up!

As we count down to the Soweto Derby clash between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium this Saturday, one thing is for sure – one thing is guaranteed – the supporters will be out in their numbers, supporting their respective teams and continue to preserve what’s left of this massive game’s dignity and reputation. By all accounts, this clash can easily be considered a ‘dead rubber’ one in football terms because it is an inconsequential game.

The two teams are trailing log leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns, by 13 (Bucs) and 16 (Chiefs) points respectively, which renders their chances of catching up with or even challenging the Chloorkop-based side futile. It has been a very, very long time since the last time the two teams met at this stage of the season challenging for league honours. It has been a very long time since the two teams last captured the imagination of South African football supporters. But, despite all of that, the supporters continue to play their part, they continue to live in hope that things will eventually get better. It is history now that it’s been over nine years since Amakhosi last put a smile on their supporters’ faces, something unheard of in the team’s illustrious history. A team affectionately known as the Glamour Boys, the ‘Cup Kings’ of South African football.

Pirates, on the other hand, have been making inroads and trying so hard to revive their league championship hopes over the last couple of seasons. They have finished second on the log and won three trophies in the last two seasons. On paper, that looks promising and that looks like a team in the right direction. But when you look at their league form, it’s left so much to be desired. The team has dropped a number of points they should have easily collected. For instance, you can’t claim to be serious about challenging Downs and go on to lose to Cape Town Spurs, with all due respect to the Parrow-based club who only had recorded one victory in the first round of the season. Inconsistency has been coach Jose Riveiro’s side’s Achilles tendon and a mark of a team not worthy of being champions! It is by no mistake that they are where they are on the log standings, struggling to amass 30 points after more than half the campaign.

Now, with the upcoming Soweto Derby, all eyes will be on the two teams, with everyone crossing fingers that this match lives up to expectations. Everyone will be pinning their hopes on the two sides making them forget about their daily struggles. Despite this being just another league clash, expect nothing less than tickets being sold out, a passion-filled atmosphere and the rivalry between the two sets of supporters playing out before, during and after the game. There are bragging rights to play for, after all. If you can’t win the league or any other silverware, a victory in the Soweto Derby goes a long way in appeasing the supporters. But for the magnitude and the incredible history that comes with this game, there’s got to be more attached to it than just the bragging rights. We cannot have the two teams just happy to fill up the stadium and continuing to command huge support with very little to show for it.

Saturday, March 9th, will present an opportunity for both teams, a chance that needs to be grabbed with both hands by both teams, to put some respect to this much-anticipated clash. It is an opportunity for the Soweto giants to ensure this game doesn’t get watered down and it does not just become another ordinary league game. Truth be told, this game is slowly but surely losing its significance because gone are the days when the two teams were battling it out for league honours, where three points in this game would have more impact than just the bragging rights. And those are the days that South African football miss, the days when the two clubs would meet in the cup finals or involved in intense running for the league championship. It’s not happening anymore.

One team gets knocked out early in a cup competition, as it was the case with Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup, when they were eliminated by Motsepe Foundation Championship side Milford FC 5-4 on penalties after an extra time goalless draw two weeks ago. The South African FA Cup was Amakhosi’s realistic hope in ensuring that they don’t get to a decade without any silverware. It is history that the side is out of the competition just as it is welldocumented that the Naturena-based club has been eliminated by lower division teams six time in 15 years in the Nedbank Cup. This is both shocking and unacceptable for an ambitious and professional outfit as Amakhosi. Something is seriously wrong! This Soweto Derby, once again, provides an opportunity for both teams to start putting building blocks to begin putting a smile on their respective supporters, to reclaim the glory days of this important event. After all, this is more than just a football game! It starts here, for both teams to ensure that the next time they meet, it is for something more meaningful than just three points so that they restore the pride that is attached to this game. We’ve had so many brilliant stories from players who took part in this game back in the day. One wonders if the feeling, excitement, anxiety and everything leading up to this match remains the same with the current crop of players. This has to be a derby that will meet the expectations and make sure that we restore the pride and dignity to the most-watched teams in the league and two of the best, most recognised teams in the continent.

What is starting to happen now is Sundowns playing either of the two teams is slowly becoming the fixture to look forward to. Proof of that is what happened recently at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, when a midweek fixture saw an overflow of crowd attendance when Sundowns played to a one-all draw against Pirates. One hopes that the Soweto giants will do justice to the Beautiful Game and reclaim their position as two of the most-supported teams in the country. Ascend to their throne as the flagship of South African football, as the two teams you need to watch to know everything about South African football. It has to happen. Soweto giants, it’s time to stand up and be counted! All eyes will be on you and you better make it worthwhile! You better make the most of this opportunity and restore pride in the Soweto Derby so that people can look forward to the derby once again and it creates that excitement all over the country because once again, this used to be the fixture everyone looked forward to. Straight after the season fixtures are released, people would start highlighting this fixture and plan accordingly. Sadly, over the last few seasons, this has just become another league game. Traditionally, this is a game that every other team’s player dreamed of becoming a part of. This is the time to revive this game. Please, give us something that will stay in our minds for years to come.