Bragging rights up for grabs

THE BLACK-AND-YELLOW half of the South African football fraternity has suffered long enough and the onus is on Ernst Middendorp to get them out of their misery.

Yes, it is that time of the year when families are torn in two, friendships are suspended for at least 90 minutes and the word “neutral” ceases to exist.

It is Soweto Derby time and, as has been the case in the last two seasons, Kaizer Chiefs go into the match seeking that seemingly elusive victory.

Amakhosi have not beaten the Buccaneers since December 2014. It is a pretty long time for the proud Glamour Boys to go without putting one over their arch-rivals, and tomorrow at what will be a packed FNB Stadium – as always – Chiefs will be out to turn the tables.

But there is very little to suggest the status quo will change. Not with Amakhosi going through a pretty rough patch in goals without their reliable goalkeeper, Itumeleng Khune, who is out for the rest of the season.

Does Middendorp stick with the error-prone Virgil Vries who has twice cost them matches with his silly mistakes, or does he give Daniel Akpeyi his debut after the Nigerian joined from Chippa United last month?

Whatever the German coach decides, the pressure of this derby this time is wholly on Chiefs, and should they deliver, the belief that they can seriously challenge for the championship will grow immensely.

Pirates, meanwhile, are not without their own pressure.

Aside from the pressure that is synonymous with the desire to give their fans bragging rights for months to come, they, too, have not won any silverware in three seasons.

A win over Chiefs tomorrow would help them pressure leaders BidVest Wits and current holders Mamelodi Sundowns.

Incredibly, though, for the nearly 100 000 fans and millions who will be watching on the box at home and listening to radios, when it comes to this match, all that matters is the outcome, and not its implications.

As Pirates boss Irvin Khoza always says, it is about the bragging rights. About being the ones who walk tall into workplaces on Monday and carry that swagger for weeks and months to come, until the next derby.

Chiefs fans have not had that feeling for a long time and they’ll be cheering and egging their team on to deliver it to them.