Warning: VV awaits
New Bucs coach gets permit ahead of derby
“THEY could be playing for a glass of water and it would still be intense,” said Roger de Sa, the former Orlando Pirates coach, ahead of Saturday afternoon’s epic league clash when Bucs welcome Kaizer Chiefs to the Calabash.
Now the Ajax Cape Town coach, after jumping the Buccaneers ship nearly two months ago, De Sa took charge of six derbies during his 16-month stay at the Sea Robbers.
He recalled the derby build-up during his time at the Soweto club and how he always had to remind the players, and himself, that it’s only three points.
“When I coached Santos I thought they made a big deal out of the local derby against Ajax when we’d have a press conference on top of Table Mountain, but the Soweto derby is obviously bigger and I had to embrace that,” said De Sa.
Going into Saturday’s clash, Pirates are desperate for maximum points to keep their flimsy Absa Premiership title aspirations alive. Defending champions and log leaders Amakhosi are in the pound seats at the top of the table with 43 points.
The match in the first half of the PSL campaign was a 1-1 draw, an encounter best remembered for striker Kingston Nkatha’s “offside” goal.
But De Sa, who won one derby, lost one and drew the rest, believes Bucs will have the edge over Amakhosi at the weekend.
“I think Pirates will win this one because Chiefs might be a little bit jaded because of the travelling in the [Caf] Champions League.
“When it kicks in, they will feel it with injuries and suspensions, trust me. Already there’s fear that Itumeleng Khune [still recovering from a sprained ankle] might not even play in the derby,” said De Sa.
Pirates are one up on Amakhosi, having dumped them out of the MTN8 earlier in the season over two legs in the semifinal of the competition.
Pirates will have former Chiefs coach Vladimir Vermezovic in charge on Saturday. The Serbian has received his work permit. “From Sunday [today] he officially takes over from interim coach Eric Tinkler,” said Pirates administrator Floyd Mbele. Vermezovic’s first game comes when Pirates play in another midweek derby against Moroka Swallows.
In his time with the Glamour Boys, Vermezovic hardly got it wrong against Pirates, with his most memorable win coming in the 3-0 thumping of Bucs to clinch the 2010 Telkom Knockout title.
“He will get to see a different side and soak it all in from a different angle,” De Sa said of Vermezovic.
“I guess it helps that it’s not something new to him and he understands the rivalry and what the derby is all about. To be honest, there’s not much you do as a coach in preparing for this game because no one wants to miss out and it feels like everybody has a purpose.”
A stalemate is often unacceptable for the fans, who buy their tickets long before the players and coaches begin talking up their chances in this clash of the titans.