Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi believes his side will come out triumphant in the second leg of the Soweto Derby. Photo: Sipho Siso

Buccaneers coach Jose ‘Spanish Guitar’ Riveiro says the team is ready for another victory in the second leg of the Soweto Derby despite two recent setbacks. Photo: Sipho Siso

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All roads lead to the FNB Stadium on May 3 for Africa’s most endeared soccer clash between father and son Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs respectively, better known as the Soweto Derby, which promises to be a scintillating affair.

AmaKhosi Amahle for Chiefs are a breakaway son of AmaBhakaniya during the 1970 split of then player Kaizer Motaung and a couple of other players from Orlando Pirates to form what is today Kaizer Chiefs. The split then was a bitter affair that was characterised by fierce fights and hooliganism at the end of each match regardless of who won it but that has since been replaced by a camaraderie atmosphere that has since turned bitterness into a sweet brotherly affair.

Chiefs PRO Vina Maphosa, speaking at a prematch press conference, described the 108th derby as a mouthwatering and tantalising football spectacle of the big giants of South African football that is endeared in the entire continent and ranks among the top 10 derbies in the world.

“Such is the magnitude of this derby that even church leaders also make reference and remarks around the encounter in the pulpit and even politicians of the same party too tend to lose themselves and create that element of enermity each time the derby comes around and even families are torn apart and husband and wife don’t see eye to eye for a few weeks or even fail to share the bed,” Maphosa said.

Maphosa said fans can also look to pop-up entertainment at the stadium that has been lined up and urged them come early to the stadium. “If you drive a Toyota vehicle, regardless of the make, there is a parking ticket that awaits you.”

Home side coach Nasreddine Nabi of Chiefs said if his side wins this second round of the derby, it will be no surprise at all as his man were up to the task even in the first round and Pirates were lucky to get a last minute gasp goal that changed the complexion of the game.

“If Pirates wins it – then well and good. We say that big clubs suffer illnesses but they never die and whoever loses on the day [May 3] will not die but will come back stronger in the next derby of the coming season,” Nabi said.

As one of the teams affected by the expulsion of Royal AM from the Premier Soccer League following its woes with the taxman and world controlling body, Fifa, Nabi said he was not bothered much by the points taken away but his heart was with all those people irked a living from the club and put food on the table for their families.

“The biggest impact of the expulsion of Royal AM is not the points we and other clubs stand to lose, it is the impact this will have on people that used the earnings from the club to support their families. They had mouths to feed and all of a sudden that is taken away from them. It has devastating effect that supersedes the mere points we lost,” Nabi added.

His Buccaneers counterpart Jose ’Spanish Guitar’ Riveiro said they were approaching the derby as one of those games were they would like to collect maximum points to continue their drive to unseat Mamelodi Sundowns from the leader board and take the Betway Premiership championship.

Despite losses in Caf Champions League and the league game against Sekhukhune United, Riveiro said the mood in the team was good and the players are all fired up for the biggest football spectacle in the country and the entire continent.

Asked why he had announced his departure from the Buccaneers early which could tend to disrupt the rhythm of the team, the Spanish Guitar said this was done to allow the club ample time to find a replacement.

With all said and done, Mzansi football lovers can look forward to yet another spectacle of football brilliance and as soccer fundis would say, may the best team win. The score line from former Pirates skipper Lucky Lekgwathi is 2-0 in favour of the side he once captained and it was a neutral score line of 2-2 from a former player who once played for both sides, Lehlohonolo Majoro.