THERE IS JUST A few days left before the biggest soccer match in the country gets played. The Soweto derby that pits Orlando Pirates against Kaizer Chiefs is the ultimate clash in South African football and in our continued build-up to the spectacle, senior soccer writer Matshelane Mamabolo highlights five of the most memorable performances by Kaizer Chiefs players in the derby.
Ebson ‘Sugar’ Muguyo
Hat-tricks are a special achievement in football, a feat very few players get to realise. To do that in the Soweto derby is even rarer, with less than a handful having done so since Kaizer Motaung left Pirates to form Chiefs. One of those who managed this is the Zimbabwean, who scored three times in the replay of the 1975 BP Top 16 semi-final. The player nicknamed ‘Sugar’ was on the rampage in a highly eventful match that Amakhosi won 5-1.
Nelson ‘Teenage’ Dladla
A legend of Amakhosi, Dladla made his debut for the club in a match against Pirates at KwaThema, Springs, and put in a compelling performance as he helped the club secure a 2-0 victory. Discerning Chiefs fans will also remember Dladla sending Patson Banda the wrong way from the penalty spot in Chiefs’ 1980 Mainstay Cup final 1-0 victory.
Fani Madida
1992 was one of the greatest seasons in Kaizer Chiefs’ illustrious history, and the man largely responsible for that was Madida. Against Pirates, he was scintillating in the Coca-Cola Cup first round match. Pirates enjoyed a 2-0 lead and looked set to progress, but Madida pulled one back from the penalty spot before Albert Bwalya equalised deep in injury time. Madida then scored the winning goal.
David Obua
The Ugandan came highly recommended and made an impact in the matches that matter – against archrivals Pirates. Who can ever forget that stunning volley he scored at the FNB Stadium when Chiefs beat the Buccaneers 2-0 in the 2005/06 season? It remains to this day one of the best derby goals ever scored.
Mabhuti Khenyeza
His time at Chiefs may have been short-lived – just one season – but Khenyeza made a lasting impression. On the occasion of the preliminary draw for the 2010 World Cup, Khenyeza made his name with a superb strike on the turn from a throw-in by Shaun Bartlett. The crowd was only settling in when Khenyeza scored against the Bucs – the goal coming as it did in 19 seconds, the quickest goal scored in the Derby.