While some sections of the Amakhosi fanbase are approaching the upcoming Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates in the Betway Premiership with a degree of trepidation following last weekend’s ignominious defeat to Marumo Gallants, defender Bradly Cross tells www.kaizerchiefs.com that squad is determined to bounce back with a positive performance at FNB stadium at 15:00 on Saturday.

“[The loss to Gallants] was a bad result. We all feel like we didn’t play to the best of our abilities, but that is behind us now and we are looking forward to the game on the weekend,’ he says.

The 24-year-old has yet to participate in South Africa football’s most prestigious fixture and he is relishing the prospect of finally attaining a goal he has long desired.

“It is a huge occasion and to be part of the Derby has been an ambition of mine, so if I get to play in my first Derby on Saturday, I’ll consider it a big achievement for me, personally,” he reveals, adding, “It will be a dream come true to play in the Soweto Derby. It’s the biggest match in the country by miles and I have watched it since I was young. Players such as Siphiwe Tshabalala doing his thing have stuck in my memory, and hopefully I get to experience it on the weekend.”

The build-up to a Soweto Derby is all-encompassing and grips the country well in advance of the actual event, yet despite the exponential increase in hype around the game, Cross remains grounded amid the feverish anticipation.

“You just have to block out all the noise and focus on what you have to do,” he says nonchalantly, “It’s our job, at the end of the day. My family are all around and they support me, which means a lot to me, but you can’t allow any distractions to interfere with the objective.”

Orlando Pirates are the pre-game favourites, sitting above Amakhosi in the league table, but Cross dismisses any sense of inferiority within the Gold & Black camp.

“Obviously, they have been doing well recently. We respect them as opponents and acknowledge their ability but I feel we need to focus more on ourselves and getting to where we want to be. That’s the mentality we are taking into the game. We expect them to come in with confidence and we want to match that from our side. There is no form book when it comes to the Soweto Derby. Everyone give their absolute best and anything can happen on the day,” he declares, signing off with a passionate appeal to the Khosi Nation, “One thing I can promise our fans is that we will leave everything out there in an effort to get the win and their support will help us a lot. We need them there to drive us on and hopefully they will push us over the line and we can all go home smiling.”