Soweto derby takes centre stage
Soweto derby takes centre stage

Posted in News on Jul 27, 2012.



Soccer City Complex, FNB Stadium will host one of the most anticipated derbies in world football when Kaizer Chiefs, the Glamour Boys of Phefeni come face to face with their arch-rivals, Orlando Pirates in the second edition of the Carling Black Label Cup.



Any Kaizer Chiefs match against Orlando Pirates remains one of the mostly fiercely contested derbies in world football since 1970 when Executive Chairman, Kaizer Motaung with his few friends formed Kaizer Chiefs after breaking away from Orlando Pirates in 1968. The breakaway left scars on the Orlando Pirates fans who thought the likes of Zero Johnson had betrayed them by leaving the Club.



Kaizer who had made his debut for Orlando Pirates as a 16 year old before heading to US to continue with his football was a fan favourite at Orlando East where he formed a deadly partnership with the late Chippa Moloi.



His move to start his own Club, Kaizer Chiefs created a fierce rivalry that has divided the country into two since then. When the two giants of South African football take the field everything gets into standstill, it was one game that even divides the parliament and families have been broken as a result of Soweto derby.



The Glamour Boys who were like a breath of fresh air in the 70s, a team with glamour and style have dominated Orlando Pirates in the last 42 years and the trophy board at Kaizer Chiefs Village is a clear demonstration of this. Players like the late Ace Ntsoelengoe, Shaka Ngcobo; even Kaizer ‘Chincha Guluva’ Motaung himself only became household names after dishing breath-taking performances in the Soweto derby.



In the 80s and early 90s the likes of Doctor ’16-V’ Khumalo, Donald ‘Ace’ Khuse, Fani ‘Turffontein’ Madida also made their names in this derby. Doc Khumalo currently an assistant coach to Stuart Baxter described the feeling of facing Pirates when he spoke to kaizerchiefs.com earlier this year; “I did not believe when Coach, Ted (Dimitru) called my name in the starting line-up against Orlando Pirates. I remember walking down the tunnel at Ellis Park….the stand in front of us was painted with black and white.”



“The late Ace Ntsoelengoe who was in front of me was not fazed at all, I asked him; ‘can I go back to the dressing room I forgot something?,’ he just looked at me because he could see that I was just nervous. I scored on that day - on my debut and I never looked back,” said Khumalo regarded as one of the best players ever to don the gold and black.



In the past decade or so, the likes of Thabo ‘Tsiki-Tsiki’ Mooki played their hearts out against Orlando Pirates. Born is Moletsane Soweto, Thabo Mooki just like his predecessors, Ace Ntsoelengoe, Teenage Dladla, and Scara Thindwa treasured every moment against Orlando Pirates.



Recently the likes of Itumeleng Khune, Siphiwe Tshabalala who is out with injury are some of the players that have dished match winning performances against Orlando Pirates.



Just like Kaizer Chiefs Executive Chairman, Kaizer Motaung and his counterpart Jomo Sono used to thrill fans with their footwork and artistry the new generation is expected to dazzle the thousands of supporters that will surely fill the Calabash.

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