Past form and results don’t count at all
Classic battles between Brian Baloyi and Jerry Sikhosana You could easily get a beating from Chiefs fans for celebrating
KAIZER Chiefs host Orlando Pirates in the Soweto Derby at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
We spoke to Chiefs left-back Tsepo Masilela and Pirates forward Sifiso Myeni about what the derby means to them.
Masilela:
Walking into the Bernabeu to play Real Madrid [when Masilela was on loan at Getafe in La Liga] is one of the greatest feelings you can have. I’ll look back and say I played in that stadium against players like Cristiano Ronaldo.
It’s a story to tell when I’m old. And coming up against Lionel Messi in the Nou Camp and the Barcelona of that unbelievable era.
In Israel, we had our match — not a derby, but against Maccabi Haifa’s rivals, Maccabi Tel Aviv.
They wear yellow, and you can’t even wear yellow boots against them — you have to explain it to your sponsor.
Comparing playing Madrid to the Soweto derby, for Real it’s that game they should win.
The Soweto derby is a 50/50. Both sides’ fans believe their team can win. Past form and results count for nothing. It starts at three and finishes at five — what happens in between determines the outcome.
Playing Madrid, it’s the feeling of playing a big team, playing at the Bernabeu, which is always sold out. And at that time it was the Madrid coached by the Chosen One, José Mourinho.
The South African game, it’s a derby you grew up watching on TV. You relate to it in that manner, that I grew up supporting so and so. As a young boy you looked at the derby having that dream that one day I want to be there. Growing up we didn’t get to watch much of Madrid. This one is the one that separated the family — your uncle supporting one and your father the other.
It has a special feeling and I still feel it’s big in a sense that I grew up in South Africa, watching Soccer City on TV with friends. It’s something more close to people who are close to me, and also myself as a player. I’ll always cherish it.
Myeni:
I used to go to the stadium with my late uncle and he was the reason I started supporting Pirates.
Those days the rivalry between Pirates and Chiefs was serious. The fans did not usually sit together, but I remember once we were sitting in the same section as Chiefs fans. When Pirates scored I stood up to celebrate. I think Jerry Sikhosana scored, but my uncle told me to sit down because you can easily get a beating from Chiefs fans for celebrating. These days fans sit together. I think the derby is not what it used to be. Back in those days they had classic battles between the likes of Brian Baloyi and Sikhosana.
These days you get stats and how many passes were made. Things like that. I miss the flavour and I think it should come alive again.
I also hope I can do well for my team. I know people say I have not performed as well as I used to at [Bidvest] Wits.
But at Wits I had a free role and I was able to take players on because I was the one who could stand out. I would take four or five players on.
We did not have players who were “wow”. When I left, General [Sibusiso Vilakazi] came. But at Pirates you have the likes of Oupa [Manyisa] and Mpho Makola, who are ball players, and you need to share the ball.
Some people do not look at it that way.
When you hold on to the ball too long, then people say you don’t pass. When you pass, they say you are not taking players on. So I just told myself it’s all about results. If we are winning, and if players and the coach are happy, then I am fine. You can’t please all the supporters.