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Soccer: Glory for the gutsy in derby

WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.

Original Post Date: 2009-05-01 Time: 11:00:03  Posted By: Jan

By Hosea Ramphekwa

Who has what it takes to triumph in the Soweto Derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon?

Or who will win the most crucial game of the season? Some will say Chiefs, others will say Pirates and those who are neutral will predict a draw.

The latter will help neither side but assist log leaders SuperSport United, whose defence of their title is connected to the outcome.

A draw would see the Premiership title staying at SuperSport while a win for either Chiefs or Pirates will leave the victor still in with a chance of dethroning the champions at the end of the season.

In the goalkeeping department, Chiefs’ Itumeleng Khune has good distribution skills but his positioning, especially when defending corners, has been questionable.

Lately he has been exposed on duty with Bafana Bafana. His Pirates counterpart, Moneeb Josephs, is also erratic. He has a propensity for fatal errors.

Defence holds the key on the day. Both Pirates and Chiefs have problems at the back although Chiefs improved in recent games.

It was a defensive blunder that caused Pirates to drop two points against United. Players at the heart of the Chiefs defence are not agile and could be caught with their pants down on Saturday. Pirates have similar problems, but both teams have good fullbacks.

They say games are won and lost in midfield. This potentially epic encounter should be no different. Both teams have creative midfielders.

Pirates rely heavily on Teko Modise and Dikgang Mabalane. When the two are tightly marked, Pirates seem to crack.

The Chiefs midfielders are good but they are wary of taking on responsibility. They no longer take on their opponents. Chiefs’ Abia Nale has good skills but his failure to score is a big let down.

Compared to Amakhosi, Pirates have a more creative and daring midfield.

Katlego Mashego (Pirates) and Kaizer Motaung Jr (Chiefs) have been among the star strikers this season. Mashego packs a shot and can score vital goals.

His problem is that he likes to drop deep to collect and it sometimes takes the sting out of Pirates’ attacks.

Mashego’s strike partner, Sphelele Mthembu, is good but lacks experience. Against SuperSport he gave a poor showing. But since players tend to up their games on the big stage, he might be on fire tomorrow.

Motaung is a fighter. The son of the boss epitomises commitment and a hunger to win. He is a good scorer too and is likely to give the Pirates rearguard a torrid time tomorrow afternoon.

With the Pirates defence suspect, Motaung and company might have a field day. However, Chiefs defenders can also expect a searching test from the Pirates attackers.

There will be battles everywhere as Chiefs and Pirates tussle for another chance at the title. The hope in both camps is that SuperSport may yet stumble in the run-in.

SuperSport are at the top of the Premiership table while Pirates and Chiefs are in positions two and three with 48 and 47 points respectively.

    • Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=vn20090501082033406C179089