After all the hype, the Soweto derby was one of the most disappointing in years.
Neither Kaizer Chiefs nor Orlando Pirates deserved to win and it was no surprise that neither side scored in the first Absa Premiership Soweto derby played at Orlando Stadium in 20 years. A
0-0 draw reflects a dull 90 minutes.
The losers were the 31 000 fans in the capacity crowd who were not given their money’s worth by the conservative set of players and coaches.
The match lacked urgency and that special magic usually associated with a derby.
Had this been a boxing match, Chiefs would have won on points as they looked slightly the better side and at least tried to attack the ultra defensive Pirates who have scored only 10 goals in 13 league matches.
Even at this early stage neither side looked able to challenge log leaders and defending Premiership champions SuperSport United for the championship.
The match got off to a bad start when it kicked-off 15 minutes late. Premier Soccer League media manager Altaaf Kazi explained that Chiefs’ goalkeeper Arthur Bartman wore a different coloured jersey from the one they had indicated they would play in. He eventually changed but the match was delayed while the matter was sorted out.
Orlando Stadium proved to be an ideal venue for the derby and the fans inside the stadium
produced a magical atmosphere. It is a pity the players failed to reciprocate on the field.
The stadium was perfect for this type of match. Chiefs fans outnumbered their Bucs counterparts almost three to one. The only black mark against the stadium was the poor state of the pitch which resembled a cabbage patch and whoever is in charge needs to give the stadium a rest and allow the grass to recover from overuse.
The first half was a dull affair with both coaches, Chiefs Vladimir Vermezovic and Bucs Ruud Krol, opting for a conservative approach by packing their respective midfield and defence. It appeared neither coach wanted to lose at any cost. As a result, the first 45 minutes never got out of neutral.
Although the bumpy pitch did not help, neither side were able to pass the ball properly. Too many passes went astray and a bunch of schoolboys could have done better on the day. Chiefs created the first chance in the 23rd minute when Pirates keeper Moeneeb Josephs did well to fist a Reneilwe Letsholonyane rocket over his cross bar and from the resulting corner Thomas Sweswe blasted wide from close range.
Three minutes later Josephs easily stopped another Letsholonyane effort and in the 39th minute Josephs dropped a Simphiwe Tshabalala free kick but his defenders managed to clear the loose ball and boot it out of danger.
Chiefs striker Kaizer Motaung junior could have scored in the 49th minute but he came in too late for a defence splitting cross from teammate Josta Dladla and as a result the danger was cleared by the Bucs defence.
Pirates’ best effort in the second half came from defender and stand-in captain Lucky Lekgwathi in the 71st minute whose fiercely struck 20m free kick shaved the paint on the Chiefs crossbar.
This was the only period where the Buccaneers tried to make a game of it and take on the Chiefs defence.
Amakhosi’s best opportunity came in the 77th minute when Josephs was penalised for carrying the ball outside of his area and from the resultant free kick, the Bafana Bafana keeper did well to deny Chiefs’ substitute Knowledge Musona a goal.
But both teams looked content to run the clock down in the final 10 minutes and settle for a share of the points. Off-form Bucs striker Terror Fanteni — who came on as a late substitute — blasted wide in the last minute summing up Pirates’ bad day in front of goal. Then Tshabalala struck the upright with the last kick of the match. The draw ended Pirates’ sequence of three defeats in a row. – Sapa