Why Rhulani won’t mess with ‘Mazinyo’

A fact that’s hard to ignore is that in four Soweto Derby games during his first stint with Chiefs, Middendorp won three and drew one – a 75% win record. Some will be quick to lament that it was only four games, but it will not be lost on Chiefs fans that these matches were against their fiercest rivals, Pirates. There is never a friendly exchange between the two teams, even in so-called ‘friendly’ games. Maybe, just maybe, a coach with such an impressive Soweto Derby record is what Amakhosi need right now, what with all the humiliation they have been subjected to, with derby results going against them in the past couple of seasons. Three losses to their rivals in one calendar year (2018) certainly did not go down well with the club’s faithful and a win against Pirates, by hook or crook, will be most welcome. But Middendorp doing so well against Bucs is a memory that will fade if he loses on Saturday and, besides, a lot has changed in both camps and in South African football since those days. The man popularly known as ‘Mazinyo’ among the supporters will be looking to keep this precious record intact. Avoiding a loss, or more precisely, winning on Saturday, will ensure he remains in the good books of the Khosi Nation after failing to progress into the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup. The less said about his predecessor, the better. The task of coaching one of the biggest teams in the continent seemed to overwhelm Giovanni Solinas and this was a loophole best exploited by Bucs assistant Rhulani Mokwena prior to the first round derby when he said Chiefs missed Steve Komphela. The mind games were in full swing and Solinas came off second best, with Pirates winning 2-1. Will the charismatic Mokwena try the same trick, or any sort, with Mazinyo in the press conference this week? Don’t hold your breath.

Ernst’s ex-charge...

Fabian McCarthy played under Middendorp at Chiefs and surely knows what goes into the German mentor’s mind when preparing for a Soweto Derby. We sought word from him regarding Saturday’s potentially explosive encounter...

“I played in the Soweto Derby under Middendorp and he would prepare normally for this game. He would analyse the opposition with his technical team for the better part of the week and most of the preparation was on how to attack them, how to stop them and how to change from Plan A to Plan B or to Plan C if they come up with a certain plan. I think Chiefs go into this game as underdogs. They lost six points recently after the losses to Sundowns and Cape Town City and the way they lost those games did not go down well with the fans, and probably the players and the technical staff as well. But it’s one of those things and it’s part of the game. Knowing the coach, he will go into this game without a point to prove but knowing what he wants out of it. I think a victory in the derby will wipe out all the negativity. The good thing is that the team has had a whole week to prepare, which is the first time it’s happened since Ernst came back. I don’t know how busy the physio room is, but from what I know, everyone is ready to play when the derby comes around, even if carrying a knock. I hope all the players are available, of course with the exception of Itumeleng Khune and Erick Mathoho. I’m looking forward to the game as it promises to be an entertaining one. Knowing Ernst, I don’t think he’s going for revenge for what Pirates have done to Chiefs in recent games. His focus will be on getting the team to play well and win, and to build the players’ confidence so they can prove themselves ahead of next season. In the last game, Pirates beat Chiefs because of their mistakes in the defensive half. This is going to be a good game.”