The game on Saturday between Kaizer Chiefs and Wits University in the Coca-Cola Cup may not be on the same level of intensity and pride as that of the Soweto Derby rivalry, but it is one that can conjure up the biggest upset in the Coke competition to date since the Coke Challenge of 1995, when Wits beat both soccer giants Chiefs in the semifinal and Pirates in the final to lift the trophy.
There is a long-standing rivalry between Wits and Chiefs that dates back to the first season of a multiracial league. It was in the Mainstay Cup of 1978 that Kaizer Chiefs suffered their first defeat by Wits 3-2. This was the beginning of Chiefs hoodoo that would come up time and time again whenever the two teams met.Â
Wits continued their winning streak against Chiefs when they faced each other again in the 1985 John Player Cup knockout final, which left the Glamour Boys’ supporters stunned. Ten years later the teams were pitted against each other yet again in the now defunct BP Top Eight final and Chiefs were once again defeated by Wits.
In Wits, Chiefs meet the ghosts of Christmas past along with recent ones — such as the two defeats Chiefs have suffered in the league at the hands of Wits plus the Super Eight Cup quarterfinal. It is now 2003 and facing another Cup tournament, the teams find themselves having to either repeat history or rewrite the record books.
For Chiefs supporters there is no other team they despise more than Wits. For the Clever Boys, beating the glamour team — who have the bigger sponsors and players who earn more than theirs — is no longer a milestone but a custom, and something that many other teams have failed to do.
‘History does not mean much, it is only what happens on the day that counts,†said Wits coach Roger de Sa. The former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper said that Chiefs are the favourites to win as they have the budget, but that Wits are intent on becoming the giants of South African soccer instead of being known only as the ‘giant-killersâ€.
With Wits having yet to concede a goal in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) after nine games, with four wins and five draws, De Sa said: ‘I don’t have great defenders — I have great players who are mostly underrated.â€Â
The students’ coach said that any game against Chiefs is a big one, the kind that people remember, and that Wits have beaten them in the past motivates Chiefs to fight back even harder.
The Wits coach said that people should expect a soccer spectacular and the team that is most cool-headed will win on the day.
‘Chiefs supporters will not intimidate us, and after missing out in the Top Eight Cup, we want to go all the way in the Coke Cup,†said Wits captain Charles Yohane. He added that Wits’s past record against Chiefs will stand.
The Chiefs camp are not deterred by history but, as Putco Mafani said in the semifinal draw: ‘My eyes are on the Coke trophy. Wits will be in the lions’ den and they will be given one lecture in football they will never forget.â€
Mafani was probably inspired by a slice of history his team will never let die — when they beat Wits 6-1 in a 1990 League game.Â
‘The team is extremely happy that [Saturday’s] game has generated so much attention and will not buy the fact that Wits is our hoodoo team,†said Chiefs coach Ted Dumitru. He added that the Coca-Cola Cup was putting too much pressure on coaches, players and referees.
Both Chiefs and Wits are at their best so far in the PSL and the football Wits has been playing has seen more and more of their defenders not buckle under pressure from Chiefs players and supporters.Â
Wits goalkeeper Wayne Roberts will need to be at his best with his defenders (Ryan Hodgskin, Neil Winstanely). Their midfield control is left in the capable hands of captain Charles Yohane, Benson Mhlongo and Gert Schalwyk (who can perform a trick
or two when tightly marked), while their strike force is led by Stewart Murisa, who seems to score readily against Chiefs.
Chiefs have never been in such great form since 2001, when they had taken everything in that season on offer except the League title.Â
Jabu Pule will mesmerise the fans on the field, while his teammate Tinashe ‘The General†Nengomashe will control the midfield area, where Chiefs have an abundance of players that can change the game when the going gets tough. Their strike force, in the shape of Sibusiso Dlamini and Patrick Mayo, will have to be sharp in front of the goal posts.
Whatever happens on Saturday at Soccer City, there will be one team closer to the R2-million in prize money and the record books will go on to reflect this. In another semifinal on Sunday Silver Stars will play Golden Arrows in Giyani.