SOCCER
Ntuthuko Maphumulo
The Mother City should brace itself for one of its biggest soccer days in living memory as the Coca-Cola Cup double-header descends on the quiet suburb of Newlands on Sunday.
The biggest teams in the country, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, will take on two of the city’s biggest clubs, Hellenic and Ajax Cape Town, for a berth in the quarterfinals of the cup competition. The Greek Gods and Ajax are both currently struggling in the Premier Soccer League.
Capetonians will be given a dose of African soccer that contains flair, passion, skill and creativity much of which has been missing in the Cape teams due to their European style of play. Supporters of African soccer are expected to descend on Newlands stadium in numbers.
There is no love lost between Ajax and Pirates, who play the first game at noon. Ajax thrashed Pirates 4-1 in the Rothmans Cup final replay to win the ”unbelievable” R1-million first prize last year, but this time the stakes have gone up to the staggering amount of R2-million.
Pirates will be out for the loot and to avenge last year’s defeat. They will also attempt to restore their rather tarnished image after a recent league match against Ajax was abandoned when Bucs players intimidated the referee. The Gauteng side were heavily fined and had several players suspended after that debacle.
The players in the black and white jerseys have never won the cup, which was contested between 1992 and 1996 and then returned this year.
The 3pm game between Chiefs and Hellenic will not be without its own rivalry, with the Greek Gods taking on the Amakhosi to establish who are the superior rulers.
Chiefs have a bone to pick with Hellenic, who ousted them in the first round of the Rothmans Cup last year. Like Pirates, Chiefs have never won the Coca-Cola Cup. They came closest in 1992 when they lost 1-3 to Amazulu in the final.
Hellenic are no strangers to cup competitions and seem to do well in them when they are on form. With the young squad they have they are expected to give Chiefs a good run for their money.
The young Greeks will be expected to emulate their predecessors, who reached the finals in 1994 but lost to Free State Stars 3-2.
If the double header is the main course on Table Mountain, the city’s third premier league side will be dishing up the starters on Saturday.
Santos host Golden Arrows and go into the cup game hoping to repair some battered and bruised egos.
Santos were totally outplayed by Kaizer Chiefs in a league game last weekend, when the dribbling wizardry and creative passing of Jabu Pule who connected well with Stanton Fredricks were too much for the Capetonians.
Fredericks scored the only goal on that day, but Santos went home complaining that they had been disallowed a penalty from a hand ball in the 18-yard area by Chiefs.
Golden Arrows, meanwhile, recorded their second win against Ajax Cape Town 2-0, which boosted their morale.