A Soweto derby to remember!

Wow! What a terrific Soweto derby performance with both Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs going at each other throughout the game at the packed FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Hats off to both coach Jose Riveiro and Cavin Johnson for playing their cards open, getting rid of the ‘play not to lose’ mentality which has been taking away from this historic clash for years now. These coaches were brave enough not to stifle their players, allowed their teams to have a serious go at it, which is something this match has lacked for a very long time now.

Because of the significance of this clash, coaches – especially when under tremendous pressure with the results not forthcoming – tend to protect their jobs by playing not to lose and hope to pull off a smash-and-grab so as to pull a wool over their team’s supporters’ eyes and buy themselves some time in the hot seat. These two gentlemen didn’t do that and, despite their teams’ indifferent form, they respected the unwritten law between the two teams to make this match a spectacle! Anyone who watched these teams for the first time on Saturday would think they were challenging for league honours, when all they could really battle for was a second spot. This was, undoubtedly, one of the best Soweto derbies one has ever witnessed and certainly a Soweto derby to remember! It was the best in recent years because there were thrills and spills throughout the game. The atmosphere was just unbelievable! As mentioned and anticipated in last week’s column, the supporters came out in their numbers to play their part, as they came to witness what was expected to be a humdinger. As much as we challenged the players to show up in that same editorial, it is only fair that we come back this week, on the same platform, to say: Bravo, gents! Indeed, you showed up and delivered beyond expectation! Thank you, for that! The supporters were magnificent and this is what should be the standard performance and experience when we watch two of the biggest teams in the country taking to the field, regardless of the opposition.

It is not every derby that we get to witness five quality goals! That’s what we want to see more of and certainly what football is all about! These are moments we, as the supporters, live for. The moments we go to the stadiums yearning for and the moments that keep us coming back. It comes as no surprise to still hear people talking about the derby almost a week later because, for the first time in a while, there was so much that one could take home. Pirates supporters dominated the stands just like their team dominated the goal-scoring opportunities. Credit to both sets of supporters for gracing the occasion and creating such an amazing atmosphere for the players to express themselves. There is still the ugly head of a section of our people with hooliganism tendencies that we need to root out from our Beautiful Game. Another very important aspect that needs urgent attention is traffic control outside the stadium. It leaves a lot to be desired because so much time is wasted unnecessarily. It is not right to delay the game, especially when the players have already gone through their warm-up routine because it upsets their rhythm. That is why sometimes players take longer to get going, their focus or reaction time during the game can be off because their warm-up was disrupted. These are simple things that we seldom take into account but they make a huge difference.

Yours truly was honoured and privileged to attend the derby, courtesy of Marriott Bonvoy and Orlando Pirates’ collaborative all-expenses-paid for electrifying weekend. Together with a number of football supporters who won the competition to be hosted by these two giant brands in the Soweto derby, I really had a time of my life. We were flown in, accommodated at the state-of-theart Melrose Arch-based Marriot Fire & Ice hotel for two two-nights.

Walking into the hotel room on Friday night, one was greeted by a warm welcome note from the hotel staff, a goodie bag containing the hotel merchandise and a Pirates jersey to wear to the stadium. The experience of spending a night in the Bucs’ decorated room was an experience second to none, with some of the team’s legends photos on the wall and the room in the team’s colours. Imagine a poster of legendary figures like Thabo Mngomeni, Helman Mkhalele, Dumisa Ngobe, Happy Jele and Williams Okpara on your hotel room wall? We were all introduced to proper VIP treatment from the moment we touched down in Gauteng up to the very last minute we spent in the Highveld. It was an unbelievable Soweto derby experience and thank you so much to both Bucs and Marriot for such a wonderful initiative. It is always good to see our people, football supporters and paying customers, being honoured, appreciated and showed love because, at the end of the day, there is no Marriot hotel, Pirates or Soccer Laduma without the supporters. It is very important that we continue to hold hands to put these kinds of initiatives for our people together because they go a long way. For some of these guys, this is a life-time experience because they are never exposed to this level of entertainment. This is stuff they only see on television and to find themselves living like kings and celebrities will be an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives. For them to mingle with celebrities and enjoy the game they love the most, with them, was certainly a highlight of their year already. To crown it all off, the two teams gave the supporters a lot to celebrate. As if that was not enough, Pirates made sure that some of their players who were not part of the playing personnel spent time with the winners at half time by signing autographs and taking pictures. Another great initiative by the two brands that will remain memorable to the supporters for years to come. Surely, the winners’ walls and social media accounts are filled with pictures with these stars and the supporters will be celebrating anniversary memories popping up on their social media pages for years to come, reminiscing about the special treatment that was made possible for them through a collaboration between two innovative companies that always look for opportunities to plough back to their communities.

Thanks to Marriot and Bucs for making this a weekend to remember. We all had so much fun and really enjoyed our stay. Here is to hoping for more of these kinds of initiatives for our wonderful football supporters, as a way of giving back to them for all the support they continue to give without fail. A small token of appreciation goes a long way and, once again, these supporters will never forget how you made them feel. The VIP experience will remain with them for the rest of their lives because, for once, they got to experience the stadium from a different position than just being on the stands. Thank you so much, once again guys!

Please note, due to next Thursday, March 21, being a public holiday, your favourite newspaper’s distribution will most likely be interrupted and therefore not be on the shelves. If that’s the case, please make sure to get your copy on Friday morning and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.