Pirates have the edge in big derby

With both Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates getting through to the Telkom Knockout quarterfinals at the weekend, I do think it helps to improve their form going into the Soweto derby.

However, if you look at what has happened since the last time the two teams played, I think Pirates have the edge, they have had a longer time with their coach and the players are more familiar with their combinations.

Augustine Mulenga and Justin Shonga are proving to be a striking partnership that is going to be the way forward for the Buccaneers. And with Vincent Pule, he has become like Teko Modise when he came in from SuperSport to join Pirates.

Pule has come in a very short space of time from Wits and has managed to carry the team in a similar way that Teko did when he came to Pirates.

The front three are familiar with each other, they are very mobile. Since the beginning of the season the Chiefs defence has been a topic of discussion and it still doesn’t look like the coach knows his best central defensive partnership.

I know Daniel Cardoso and Siyabonga Ngezana have been playing together more regularly and maybe this is the partnership that will try to stop Shonga, Mulenga and Pule.

In terms of Kaizer Chiefs, Giovanni Solinas only had four weeks at the start of the season, and slowly they are starting to play the type of football he wants to play, attacking the opposition rather than waiting for them and playing on the counter. That has been good for Chiefs. The loss of Lebo Manyama to injury is a bit of a blow.

I do think the inclusion of George Maluleka in midfield next to Willard Katsande will be key, it feels clichéd but that midfield battle with Ben Motshwari, Musa Nyatama and Xola Mlambo against Katsande, Maluleka and Siphelele Ntshangase should be where the game is won.

On the side of Chiefs in attack, I think the man to look for is Khama Billiat, it is his first derby and when a player signs for Chiefs or Pirates they always think about playing in the derby. I am sure young Pule also can’t wait to play in a derby game.

There is this old saying of bragging rights but these are also two teams that have taken a back seat of late, with Sundowns dominating, Wits up there, and SuperSport being labelled cup kings. Whatever the bragging rights the derby sets you up for more success. In reality, Chiefs and Pirates have not been at their best in the last few years and a derby win will set them up nicely.

My first derby was at the FNB Stadium, the year after the Ellis Park disaster. We came out on the field carrying doves in our hands to release as a symbol of peace. I was so nervous coming through the tunnel, the noise was unbelievable.

I was supposed to hold the dove and release it just before kick-off, but I just let it go! I remember in the tunnel, Pirates’ Gerald Raphahlela was telling me and Jabu Pule that we mustn’t start our nonsense or he was going to kick us!

The week leading up to the derby is always a special week, everyone is flying into tackles in training, everyone wants to be in the line-up. If you are happy to start the derby on the bench, you shouldn’t be at Chiefs or Pirates.