The Soweto Derby is one of the biggest games in the world. That comes with excitement and… Yes, pressure. “I had many sleepless nights before a Derby,” reflects Shane MacGregor, who played for the Amakhosi from 1987 to 1994. “But what a game! You didn’t need any motivation as a player for that match, that’s for sure.”

“The whole week we were focused on the Derby,” continues Chiefs’ legendary striker. “To not get worried about unnecessary things, I would never read the newspapers during the week before the encounter.”

The Amakhosi play away against Orlando Pirates at the FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon (kick-off is at 15:30).

“During the time I was at Chiefs,” adds MacGregor. “We won more than we lost. It didn’t matter so much whose home game it was. In the week ahead of the Derby, we would always sit down with a few players to discuss the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Besides me, guys like Mark Tovey, Shakes Kungwane, Fani Madida and William Shongwe would participate.”

“A defender like Tovey would give great insight about the strengths and weaknesses of the Pirates defenders, which would help me on match day. Goalkeepers like Shongwe, Gary Bailey and Wade du Plessis would tell me about the Pirates goalkeepers. Those were excellent discussions.”

“And then on match day… When you enter the stadium and you see that crowd - singing, dancing… Amazing! All that excitement! That’s when you feel a super hero. You don’t need any more motivation at that moment, you just want the match to start.”

“When playing, I would not hear the crowd. That’s because I was fully focused on the game. However, with set-pieces like corners and free-kicks, you would definitely be aware. It was always so special to know that all those thousands and thousands of Amakhosi fans would be behind you, no matter what. The Chiefs fans are the world’s best!”