BIGGER GAME NEXT WEEK: the ultimate Soweto Derby verdict from Orlando Pirates boss Roger de Star

The one that got away: Kingston Nkhatha

A single SMS from Orlando Pirates boss Roger de Sa says it all about Saturday’s controversial Soweto derby: “Like before. Bigger game next week.”

With Saturday night’s African Champions League final first leg looming, Kaizer Chiefs fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief. Kingston Nkhatha’s off-side equaliser  – clearly scored with a little help from linesman Enoch Molefe’s unflagging support – will not be the subject of intense scrutiny for the rest of the week.

Roger and his Buccaneers have bigger fish to fry.

The final against champions and seven-time African champions Al Ahly – this Saturday in Orlando and the next Saturday in Egypt – is all that matters to the Buccaneers.

Roger is far more interested in picking out the raft of veteran Ah Ahly players who have said they will retire after the showdown, and in the news that their goalkeeper Sherif Ekrami stands accused of “faking injury” during Egypt’s lamentable 6-1 World Cup qualifying defeat against Ghana a fortnight ago.

That’s why Roger didn’t even both getting involved in the off-side debate while twitter got itself in a twist of “Enoch, Enoch. Who’s There? Kingston Nkhatha” jokes on the internet and the role referee Victor Hlungwayo played in the PSL encounter.

It’s not like refereeing controversy is new to the Soweto Derby. This year alone, we have had Major’s off-side effort in the Carling Cup final and Morgan Gould’s penalised “push” in the MTN8 semi-final.

Instead, Roger chooses to highlight the positive, saying: "Hopefully we can do our nation proud on Saturday – I’m even hoping to see a lot of yellow jerseys at Orlando, supporting us!”

Getting the message: Roger's SMS on Saturday

With Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter, incredibly, admitting: “If either side had gone for broke, they would have claimed the points,” we had Roger accepting: “We’re happy enough with a draw. It was a fair result from where I was.

"Both teams had chances. They played their game on the counter and we played our passing game, sometimes not as fluidly as usual, but we had our moments.

"It's not a bad result for us, away from home. Maybe next time we will play with fresh legs.”

And really, that’s the point. Orlando Pirates completely outplayed the double-winning South African champions for the first 25 minutes, playing good football.

But those endless flights to the heart of Africa took their toll and by the end, Pirates were happy to accept the Nkhatha injustice and settle for a point which, deceptively, leaves them bottom of the PSL, level with Golden Arrows on four points.

Of course, if they win their five games in hand, they’d go four points clear of current leaders SuperSport United and Moroka Swallows, but that’s for later.

For now, this week, this day, this moment, Roger and his over-worked squad have only one thing in mind. And it’s this: “We haven’t got that star on our shirt yet. That is our priority. That has always been our main aim.”

BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za, airs every Thursday from 9am. See the Ballz channel on www.YouTube.com for our growing collection of interviews with the big names in South African football.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news… and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday inwww.thenewage.co.za.

BOLLOCKZ! is backed by www.topodds.com - have a look at their site for my latest sports betting advice!

BOLLOCKZ ON BALLZ! Roger de Sa (Orlando Pirates), Rob Shepherd (Daily Mail) and Joe Crann (Soccer Laduma) videos are HERE!

Here's my interview with Roger de Sa on my www.ballz.co.za football show BOLLOCKZ! on Thursday, where Roger told me how his first-teamers are barely training at the moment given the number of games they are playing at the moment.

With today's Soweto Derby imminent, Roger also explain that Lucky Lekgwathi was playing in friendlies and available for the big game against Kaizer Chiefs. He said: "Lucky is probably a better footballer than Ayanda Gcaba but he is approaching 38. Gcaba is more athletic. It's about horses for courses."

I also spoke to Rob Shepherd, the English Daily Mail's "Grapevine" columnist about European football - he said Russia should not be allowed to host a World Cup given levels of racism suffered by Yaya Toure and Manchester City in Wednesday's 2-1 win at CSKA Moscow.

And he mentioned my once-impressive throw-ins!

My producer Comfort Kheswa and I also talked to Soccer Laduma's Joe Crann, who CONFIRMED Orlando Pirates AND Kaizer Chiefs will compete together in the African Champions League next season if the Buccaneers beat champions Al Ahly in the two-legged final on November 2 and 9.

BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za, airs every Thursday from 9am. See the Ballz channel on www.YouTube.com for our growing collection of interviews with the big names in South African football.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news… and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday inwww.thenewage.co.za.

BOLLOCKZ! is backed by www.topodds.com - have a look at their site for my latest sports betting advice!

EXCLUSIVE: BOLLOCKZ! talks to BOTH Soweto Derby coaches before the big one: MUSONA is OUT, MAJORO is FIT, LUCKY is AVAILABLE... and KHUNE is on the phone to clubs in Europe!

BOTH Soweto Derby head coaches appeared on my football show BOLLOCKZ! on www.ballz.co.za this morning - and between them they settled all the big questions looming before Saturday's sold-out showdown.

First Roger de Sa, fresh from the 1-1 draw in Tunisia against Esperance which put his team through to the African Champions League final, came on to congratulate his jet-lagged troops on their 4-0 Telkom Knock-Out quarter-final win over Golden Arrows last night.

Derby date: De Sa and Baxter

Roger explained how his players decided to stay in camp on their return from Tunisia via the United Arab Emirates on Monday afternoon, saying: "It's been a terrific ride for us, it's had it's ups and downs but the players have been brilliant all the way through.

"The players are barely training at the moment, they don't need a fitness coach they're playing so many games. I guess one day we may "hit the wall" but for now we're doing okay, man management is getting us through. Training at the moment consists mostly of playing with the ball and stretching.

"What I can tell you is our captain Lucky Lekgwathi IS fit. He DID suffer a death in the family, he missed some training but he played a friendly while we were away and he's playing another one today.

"Like everybody else he has to compete for a place in the side. Ayanda Gcaba is probably not as good as Lucky but he is more athletic. Lucky is nearly 38, he's still a great player but it's horses for courses.

"Gcaba suited out strategy against Esperance. It's up to Lucky now to work his way back in to the side. As far as I'm concerned there are NO SINISTER FORCES a work here!"

Kaizer Chiefs boss Stuart Baxter made time before the AmaKhosi training session this morning to reveal: "I have to tell you Knowledge Musona (who dislocated a shoulder after scoring the last-gasp equaliser in the Telkom Knock-out against Free State Stars on Sunday) is out for the derby.

"We're not sure how long he's out for, but you know what a dislocated shoulder can do. How it can pop again, even when you feel like you're recovered. It won't be giving him much piece for the next couple of weeks.

"But I have options. We could push Bernard Park up to No9, we've also got Kingston Nkhatha who looked sharp in training - and I can confirm Lehlohonolo Majoro is fit. He had a slight niggle in the groin area but he's fine now.

"He could be the automatic option with Knowledge out."

Baxter also confirmed: "Simphiwe Tshabalala is back in training and everybody else is raring to go."

The Scotsman, the first foreigner to win the PSL title in his first year in the PSL, added high praise for his goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune before the big derby, insisting: "He's not just one of the best in Africa, I'd throw that a bit wider and ask who's better than him in Europe. He's got the attitude to match his talent.

"Even as we speak he's on the phone to several professional clubs asking about his signature!"

You can see the Roger de Sa video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg_YnXvPLXI

BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za, airs every Thursday from 9am. See the Ballz channel on www.YouTube.com for our growing collection of interviews with the big names in South African football.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news… and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday inwww.thenewage.co.za.

BOLLOCKZ! is backed by www.topodds.com - have a look at their site for my latest sports betting advice!

Baxter fuming on the Kaizer Chiefs bus after Soweto Derby: If you give a penalty for THAT, you have to give penalties all day

Shooting from the lip: Chiefs boss Stuart Baxter

AS I write this, Stuart Baxter is on the Kaizer Chiefs bus struggling to come to terms with an MTN8 semi-final defeat at the hands of his old rivals Orlando Pirates.

And he is running and re-running video replays of the incident which turned the second leg around: the 74th minute penalty which ensured a home draw for the Buccaneers, who advance to Saturday’s final 2-1 on aggregate after their 1-0 first leg win.

Double-winning Baxter, the first foreign coach ever to win the PSL in his first year as a club coach in South Africa, is not a fool. He doesn’t put his foot in it, like Clinton Laursen famously did live on camera earlier this season after Bloemfontein Celtic red card against Mamelodi Sundowns.

He’s calm. He’s contained. But he’s fuming after seeing Bernard Parker’s first half rebound cancelled out by Lennox Bacela’s spot kick.

I cannot quote everything he said. I can tell you he did send two post-match SMSes which made my blackberry go bright red.

What I can say is this. Stuart Baxter feels desperately aggrieved. He has no personal issue with referee Daniel Bennett but his opinion deserves to be aired.

The fateful moment: Gould pulls Bacela's shirt
Picture from @matipwili on Twitter

As he watched the re-runs of Morgan Gould’s infringement on Orlando Pirates striker Lennox Bacela he issued a couple of non-printables: “I haven’t looked at this before, bear with me Neal,” said the man from Wolverhampton, then “Is THAT it? That’s what he gave the penalty for? FOR THAT?”

A discussion followed. On the bus, other opinions were being thrown about it the background. Obviously the Chiefs technical staff and their players sounded distinctly unhappy, as you'd expect. Much was said.

Here’s what I can quote from Baxter: “I had to be cautious after the game. I’ve blamed referees before and been wrong. I didn’t want to do that again.

“But now I’ve had a look at the incident, I’m confused. The level of Morgan’s contact on Bacela was much as it was on ANY corner at either end during the game. If he’s going to give a penalty for that, there would be penalties all day.

“In the modern day, there is always contact in the box on corners. One of our lads too an elbow in the face when their lad (Rooi Mahamutsa) was booked earlier in the game. That’s football these days, that’s what happens.

“I cannot understand this decision. I thought we’d weathered the storm when they hit the bar (Vieira Masalesa header after Siya Sangweni nod-back) but the penalty came just as we were starting to get back in the game.

“We ruled the first half. I don’t understand why we lost momentum second half. Their substitute Sifiso Myeni is a good player, he helped change the game. But we were playing long balls. We stopped playing for 20 minutes.

“In the end, we have to accept this result. It’s tough. But there you are. Best I don’t give you the full weight of my opinions right now!”

Baxter, always a great talker with encouraging ideas about development and the future, managed to contain his fury. Roger de Sa on the opposing bench could hardly contain his joy after a dramatic and entertaining Soweto derby at a sold-out Orlando Stadium.

Roger, whose Sea Robbers reached the last four of the African Champions League on Sunday, said: “We’ve done to great clubs like Al Ahly and Kaizer Chiefs in 24 hours (actually it’s 48 Roger!) and that can’t be bad. My boys never stopped running, we worked and worked.

“They were on top in the first half, but Myeni changed things, we came back in to it. It’s been tough. Two massive game like that in such a short space of time. Oupa Manyisa? How much running did he do today? Young Masilesa has stood up so well too.

“But we have a day off now. I hope my dog won't bite me, I haven' been home so long he might not remember who I am! Then the final in Durban on Saturday. We’ll be ready.”

BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za, airs every Thursday from 10am-noon. See the Ballz channel on Youtube for our growing collection of interviews like the one above.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news… and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.

BOLLOCKZ! is backed by www.topodds.com - have a look at their site for my latest sports betting advice!

A little bit of Knowledge goes a long way: How the Soweto derby was won - and lost

Gaining Knowledge: Kaizer Motaung and Stuart
Baxter give on-loan Musona his No11 shirt

 

It is a well known fact that a lack of Knowledge can cause a person all kinds of problem in life. Just ask Stuart Baxter.

On Saturday, with 80,000 people at Soccer City looking over his shoulder, the Kaizer Chiefs coach decided he could do without the on-loan Zimbabwean Knowledge Musona in his starting line-up against Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates.

There is no way Baxter or his AmaKhosi could legislate for a superb kick from the rejuventated Daine Klate after 12 minutes. There is no way the first foreign coach to win the PSL in his first year could have predicted such a strong start from Roger de Sa's Buccaneers either.

But what Baxter COULD and SHOULD have done, is start with a more positive attitude.

I spoke to Stuart last Thursday on my football show Bollockz. At the time, we agreed his three musketeers - Musona, Bernard Parker and Leohlonolo Majoro might all start in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-final.

It was an exciting debate about options: "I've started with all three, I've started with two of them, we have alternatives."

But perhaps I overlooked the bit where Baxter, by his nature a conservative man, said: "It's the first leg, you have to box cagily. You don't want to concede goals."

Despite lengthy chats with all involved in the Soweto Derby in the build-up, I was as surprised as anybody to see Musona left out of the starting line-up. I was not surprised about the Pirates team - Roger de Sa warned me on Friday night that long-term injury Siya Sangweni, though back in training, would not make it for the big game.

That was something of a relief. The last Soweto derby Sangweni played in - with a knee injury sustained during last year's African Cup of Nations - ended 0-0 but the man with a cattle farm near Richards Bay has taken over six months to recover.

In the midfield, Andile Jali failed his late fitness test after ankle and groin injuries but that didn't really concern me. I'd spoken to Legohonolo Maselesa before the game. For a 20-year-old, the former Wits Clever Boy was completely unfazed about playing in his first Soweto Derby.

What was it he said? "Neal, I'm not living the dream. I'm very lucky to be playing for Orlando Pirates, but I have a lot of improving to do before we can talk about living the dream!"

But as he did the week before when he came on for Jali in the 4-1 win over Egyptian giants Zamalek, South Africa's Vieira simply glided through his first Bucca v AmaKhosi clash, running his socks off with Sox, denying Yeye, Shabba and Parker before picking up the man of the match award.

Incredible stuff for a young lad who simply has everything it takes to make it, both here and in Europe.

But ultimately this was not about the battle of the midfield, nor about Senzo Meyiwa and Itumeleng Khune, described to me before the game by Mark Fish as "the best two goalkeepers in Africa".

This was about Stuart forgetting to throw caution to the win in the first leg at home. This was about Roger De Sa, who has been haunted by an unhappy Ghost for so long, finally getting the upper hand.

I've counted NINE matches where De Sa has come up against Chiefs and failed to grasp the victory he has so long deserved. This time he relished it, grinning: "My captain Lucky Lekgwathi is a legend, he gets better with age! Oupa Manyisa and Sifiso Myeni were magnificent with Vieira. I'm very proud of my lads."

And while Baxter insisted: "Musona wouldn't have done any better in the first half," we all saw the improvement the Zimbabwean striker made when he came on at half-time.

I'm afraid in this instance, a little Knowledge was not quite dangerous enough. He remains a shadow of the striker who left here for Germany as South Africa's top scorer - but his ability, touch and reputation were sorely missed in the first half.

We have to wait a painfully long month for the second legs of the MTN8 semi-finals. I daren't touch on Platinum Stars whopping Wits in the Sunday semi as Gavin Hunt will have my guts for garters. But I can say this to AmaKhosi fans: "Knowledge is power."

 

BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za, airs every Thursday from 10am-noon. The full interview is on video below.
You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news… and read my “Neal & Pray” column every Tuesday inwww.thenewage.co.za.

BOLLOCKZ! is backed by www.topodds.com - have a look at their site for my latest sports betting advice!

 

 

South Africa's Vieira: Legohonolo Maselesa on the African Champions League, his first Soweto derby, Turfloop and keeping his feet on the ground

South Africa's Vieira: Legohonolo Maselesa

Legohonolo Maselesa is not your ordinary 20-year-old. The former South African Under 17 captain is rapidly proving that as he settles in to the Orlando Pirates squad with uncommon calm.

Forced to replace Andile Jali early in the Buccaneers’ 3-0 win against Egyptian giants Zamalek last Saturday, his coach Roger de Sa said simply: “Maselesa looked like he’d been playing in the African Champions League all his life.”

Now Maselesa faces his first Soweto derby – the MTN8 semi-final against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday is getting close to a sell-out – insisting he is ready for the 90,000 baying fans.

Perhaps better known as Vieira – after the former France World Cup winning midfielder Patrick – Maselesa explains: “I was playing for an academy in Joburg, Afrika Sports, when they started calling me Vieira. I was 12 at the time, back in 2004. Every since then, I’ve been Vieira.

“As a footballer you have to be prepared to come on at any moment. When Andile went down injured, I can’t really say I was nervous, there was the TP Mazembe game, that may have been harder than Zamalek!”

So is he living the dream following his move from Bidvest Wits last year? “I can’t really say that this is the dream, I still hope things get better from here! Obviously, as a young boy it IS a dream to play for Pirates, it doesn’t happen to everyone. For me to be here is an honour, a privilege.

“But I can’t say I’ve arrived, I still have to push myself.”

And playing for De Sa? “Roger for me, because I worked with him before at Wits, is everything in one. I’m not trying to say things that he’s not. But he can be that leader, put the foot down. But when it’s time to joke around he can do that too.

“He’s all in one, serious guy, funny guy, all in one.”

In a football world where coaches are fiercely protective of their young stars – Sir Alex Ferguson never let Ryan Giggs or David Beckham near a microphone until they were in their mid-20s – “Vieira” is able to give us a unique glimpse in to the pressures of breaking in to the professional ranks.

When I asked about the pressure, the problems of super-stardom, his answer was spot on.

“I come from a very humble background, it’s easy to keep my feet on the ground. I have people around me who criticise me a lot. They give me a call and give me a bit of stick for my performances!

“It’s never like I get good reviews. People might say I’m playing well but when I get home it’s a different story, the people who really matter and give me advice, never tell me I’m the finished article.

“To be honest I feel amazing. It’s not every child who gets to play for Pirates and for me that’s no pressure. Every day I learn different things, I learn and I play better.

“I’m from Turfloop near Polokwane – I don’t know who said I was from Alexandra. I’d like to believe most great footballers come from Limpopo! There is a huge amount of talent coming from the north.

“I’m not a physio, I can’t tell you if Andile Jali will be fit for Saturday. But this will be my first Soweto derby. If it happens, I’ll be willing to give my best and hopefully, to earn a good result. But anything can happen!

“My biggest crowd before this was 50,000 when we played Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final in 2011 and lost 3-1. This will be my biggest crowd ever.

So how will the huge gathering affect him? Can he shut it out or will it inspire? “I played then and only about 1,000 of the crowd were supporting Wits, this time about half of them will be supporting me, at the stadium and millions on the television. I can only get fired up you know!”

 BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za, airs every Thursday from 10am-noon. The full interview is on video below.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news… and read my “Neal & Pray” column every Tuesday inwww.thenewage.co.za. 

BOLLOCKZ! is backed by www.topodds.com - have a look at their site for my latest sports betting advice!

AmaKhosi boss Stuart Baxter explains why Saturday's Soweto derby is unique in the world - and why Pirates winning in Africa is worth a glass of wine!

Rivals not enemies: Roger de Sa and
Stuart Baxter with the MTN8 trophy

KAIZER CHIEFS coach STUART BAXTER prepares for Saturday’s Soweto derby insisting the nation’s clash of giants is unique in the world of football.

But the double-winning AmaKhosi boss insists he is on good terms with Bucca coach Roger De Sa and that they will “share a glass of wine together” after the first leg of the MTN semi-final - no matter what.

Baxter, who became the first foreign PSL coach to win the title in his first season, said on my football show BOLLOCKZ! yesterday: “I’ve been to big football derbies all over the world, and the Soweto Derby matches anything in terms of spectacle and passion.

“But it’s very, very different to anything else. The crowd mingles. It’s a carnival. They get so hyped up for it on a different level. It’s unique, something we should cherish and be proud of.”

And he recalls a decade-long relationship with former Bafana goalkeeper De Sa saying: “I’ve known Roger for a long time, since I was the national coach. We’ve kept in touch. I rate him as a friend and colleague.

“A lot of people raised their eyebrows when I said I was pleased to see Pirates getting a good win in Egypt. If Pirates get a good result does that make us useless? If they do badly does that make us a better team? NO IT DOESN’T.

“It’s a good result for South Africa when Pirates do well in Africa. When we walk on the pitch we won’t be buying each other cake, when the line is drawn in the sand we’ll be fierce enemies for 90 minutes. And that’s it, we’ll do whatever we can to get a result.

“Afterwards I’ll buy him a glass of wine and say: "Well played" or "unlucky son"! I don’t think we need to hate each other to make a positive rivalry. You do your work for your club, no matter what other people do, it doesn’t make you better or worse.”

As for the intricate details of Saturday’s clash – where 80,000 tickets have already been sold – Baxter insists: “At this moment no injuries to report, Major had a bit of a day off with a virus but he's back so it’s only Siyabonga Nkosi who is in training but not available for selection.

“How will we play in at Soccer City? It’s possible we could play Bernard Parker, Lehlohonolo Majoro and Knowledge Musona all up front together. We’ve played with all three together before. They will all be playing a part in the game.

“But it’s a two-legged affair this one so you’re looking not to concede a goal at home while getting a few in the plus column. We’ll have to box a little bit cagily but I can envisage playing all three strikers in the game.”

Mark Fish, part of the 1995 Orlando Pirates Champions League winning team, also highlighted the unique nature of the Soweto Derby on BOLLOCKZ!, saying: “Apart from playing against Chiefs, the biggest game I played in during my years in Europe was the Rome derby. Roma v Lazio, who share a stadium.

“But there it’s all about segregating the fans, there are police and stewards everywhere. In all the big European derbies it’s like that. You have to keep the fans apart. But here, it’s different. For all the rivalry, the fans can sit together, sing together.

“That’s what makes Orlando Pirates v Kaizer Chiefs unique.”

You can find both the Baxter and Mark Fish videos below.

BOLLOCKZ! my show on www.ballz.co.za, airs every Thursday from 10am-noon.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news… and read my “Neal & Pray” column every Tuesday inwww.thenewage.co.za. 

BOLLOCKZ! is backed by www.topodds.com - have a look at their site for my latest sports betting advice!

What a weekend: THAT Mor Diouf video, the Q3 table, Stuart Baxter... and Gavin Hunt

Here it is, the Q3 table as it stands right NOW. Kaizer Chiefs won Q1, Platinum Stars took Q2. Chiefs are clearly favourites for the third cheque of R1.5m.

But look at Moroka Swallows, SuperSport United and Bidvest Wits... and even AmaZulu, who are out of the relegation zone in the overall PSL table for the first time this season.

Sadly, life in Cape Town remains gloomy, with Chippa United and Ajax joining plunging Leopards in the bottom three.



1 Kaizer Chiefs 6 4 2 0 10 3 7 14
2 Moroka Swallows 6 3 2 1 9 6 3 11
3 Supersport United 6 3 2 1 5 3 2 11
4 Bidvest Wits 6 3 2 1 8 7 1 11
5 AmaZulu 6 3 2 1 4 3 1 11
6 Orlando Pirates 5 3 1 1 7 4 3 10
7 Bloemfontein Celtic 6 2 3 1 8 6 2 9
8 Free State Stars 6 2 2 2 7 5 2 8
9 Platinum Stars 6 2 1 3 7 6 1 7
10 Golden Arrows 6 2 1 3 5 6 -1 7
11 Mamelodi Sundowns 6 1 3 2 5 4 1 6
12 Maritzburg United 6 1 2 3 4 8 -4 5
13 University Of Pretoria 6 0 4 2 4 7 -3 4
14 Chippa United 6 1 1 4 5 10 -5 4
15 Black Leopards 6 1 1 4 6 12 -6 4
16 Ajax Cape Town 5 0 3 2 4 8 -4 3

These important provisos from the ever-efficient Luxolo September, PSL media manager:

- Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates has NOT been included because it is a Q4 match brought forward.

- Q3 will only be complete when postponed matches from this quarter have been played.

Some quotes from Kaizer Chiefs boss Stuart Baxter on SportsTalk last night (www.702.co.za) after the Soweto derby:

“Kingston Nkatha has a bang on his hip, we got him right for the derby but he got another bang on it. Our for at least a week.

“We’re all desperate for success. It’s a bit like Arsenal. We wanted to make this a coaching environment at the club.

“We’ve just finished re-organising the academy and maybe we can get a bit of silverware at the end of the season.

“Kaizer’s ambition is that we will be able to provide for the future from the youth and make one or two marquee signings.

“We have got that sort of talent and we’re hoping to attract it as well.

“We’re gone to have eight cup finals now. We’re hoping to take each one as it comes, prepare meticulously.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had to manage players in such difficult circumstances. The hype for this one is world class, even if the game wasn’t!

“I haven’t woken up with one hand on the title. I’ve woken up like a man who wanted three points yesterday!“

And this from Gavin Hunt, in the pub after Mor Diouf's sensational 60-year "Beckham strike won the Tshwane derby:

"When he hit it, I thought: "Where's that going." Then I saw where Wayne (Sandilands, the goalkeeper) was and I started running. I didn't stop. He'll never do that again in his life, I promise you.

"I actually felt sorry for Pitso (Mosimane). They should have had us 5-0 in the first half. I must be going senile, I forgot to make substitutions until half-time. Then we got better."

KAIZER CHIEFS 0-0 ORLANDO PIRATES: It's nearly time to accept: Stuart Baxter is worthy

Top of the pile: Stuart Baxter

It’s all very well turning to club PROs and talking heads when you discuss the Soweto derby. But after Saturday’s goalless efforts in front of over 90,000 at Soccer City, you need a man of experience to explain what appears to be a footballing train smash in front of the biggest sporting crowd in the world last weekend.

Gavin Hunt, Mark Fish, Doc Khumalo, Roger De Sa, Clive Barker. They are such men. So too is Stuart Baxter, the coach roundly written off when he arrived, indirectly, to replace the unlamented Brazilian Julio Leal at the helm of the best-supported club in South Africa.

Before the greatest derby in Africa, we had Vina Maphosa, spokesman of Kaizer Chiefs, taking on Mickey Modisane of Orlando Pirates. It was great. We upset Vina earlier in the week by revealing his AmaKhosi had appointed a new acting Managing Director without telling us. Goodnews Cadogan had jumped the gun by revealing his new-found status on Facebook.

On Friday we caught Mickey too – we had a recording of Roger de Sa telling Udo Carelse on 702’s SportsTalk on Thursday night: “Benni McCarthy is just not fit, he can barely kick a ball.” But on Friday morning the official Orlando Pirates website quoted Benni saying he was fit and raring to go for the derby, and that it was just up to the technical team to select him.

Poor old Mickey.  Which was the truth? How could the Buccaneers not spot the contradiction? “I haven’t seen the medical reports,” he complained, “What the coach says is right… and so is Benni.”

Confused? We were.

So when it comes to analysing the game itself, a goalless affair marked by spectacular saves at both ends and what looked to me like a stonewall penalty to the Pirates, you have to turn to THE MAN WHO KNOWS.

That man was born in Wolverhampton, England, 59 years ago, spent an unspectacular year in charge of Bafana eight  years ago and was questioned about the validity of his CV when he returned to South Africa this season.

Now five points clear of his arch-rivals at the top of the PSL, Baxter is on the verge of proving the critics wrong, of celebrating that long-awaited championship with the Amakhosi.

This is Stuart Baxter’s summary of what we ACTUALLY SAW rather than an hysterical reaction to a goalless stalemate: “I'd have liked a better quality game, especially when it comes to passing. But the players worked very hard.

“I've never seen so many good players giving the ball away. The passing game on both sides was erratic. I think that's why it was more end to end, because the transitions (Baxter’s favourite word)were giving each other opportunities.”

“If you take any big derby, Manchester or Milan, they rarely justice do the size of the event. There were nerves out there. I've seen very few really good derby games. Usually they're blood and thunder. I don't think this one really took off.

“I know everybody asks, when we play and Pirates play, if we are sitting glued to the TV, and hoping they're going to lose. I have to say, I don't want any of our players to have that attitude. We don't become a better team if Pirates lose.

"We become a better team if we work hard at our own game, and we become an over-optimistic team sometimes if they lose or drop points.

"It's the same for us. They don't suddenly become 10 classes better if we concede two goals.”

On Kickoff.com, Baxter confessed: “I was quite happy with the first 20 minutes, we got into the game and we settled but we were not creating as many chances as we would like. Pirates took over in the last 15 minutes of the first half, because when we had the ball we gave it back to them.

"I was concerned when we went in at half-time. My team talk was obviously useless because we did the same in the next 15 minutes after half-time. But then for some reason, the lads pulled together and got better defensively.

"If you ask me if we were unlucky (not to get the winner) I don't know. We had a couple of chances towards the finish and their keeper Senzo Meyiwa came up trumps.

“I agree with Roger that it wasn't the best of games in the world.”

WILL UPDATE THIS WITH STUART BAXTER QUOTES FROM TONIGHT'S INTERVIEW!

Ntsimbi does not rust: Why Siya Sangweni not Benni McCarthy should be the focal point before Soweto Derby

Wounded Pirates: Benni McCarthy and Siya Sangweni

BENNI McCARTHY’S knee is dominating the headlines again, one day before the biggest crowd in the world gathers at Soccer City for the Soweto derby.

Orlando Pirates fans, with their champions going in to the 90,000-strong cauldron five points adrift of arch-rival Kaizer Chiefs, are understandably confused.

Last night on SportsTalk we dragged Buccaneers coach Roger de Sa out of his late afternoon nap and he told us quite clearly: “Benni is struggling with his knee. He can barely kick a ball.”

But this morning, with Talk Radio 702 running that damning statement as our promo for tonight’s show, Orlando Pirates released a statement from Benni himself saying: “I am back doing full training with the boys and so far all is good.

 “Everyone is working hard at training hoping to make it into the squad. The derby is the biggest match in the local sporting calendar, we all want to be a part of it.”

Attempts to reach Benni for clarification have proved impossible. The last update on his twitter account talks about his recent attachment to boxer Chris van Heerden’s camp at Sandton Convention centre last Saturday night. He says: “Hey everyone hope all is good? Big moment for SA Boxing when the Champ Chris van Heerden take on Hatton in Sandton 2nyt. Come and support “

Benni does concede on the Pirates website: “Obviously the team has been playing together for a while and I was out so, I cannot rush things. It’s up to the technical team. If selected to play I hope to be at my best but if not, then I have to push myself to get in the team for the next upcoming matches.”

For his part De Sa, who has been incredibly forthcoming on our show during the Sea Robbers’ mini-slump, says: "Benni is 35 and is not the same any more. He’s a good professional and we do miss him. We don't just miss him on the field but also in the dressing room.

"You got to understand the injuries take a lot longer to heal and he is more prone to injuries now. Benni has never been the ideal athlete. He is a phenomenal footballer with a great football brain.”

And then this: "His injuries are always genuine, the first one was a hamstring tear that he picked up while he was with Bafana Bafana. He tried to come back earlier and it strained again and so he had to sit out another two to three weeks.

"He came back from the Christmas break looking pretty sharp and we were excited that we will at least have Benni for the second half of the season. Then at one of the training sessions he twisted his knee and tore a ligament in that knee.”

My sources tell me that injury was sustained by a tackle from an over-enthusiastic player on trial at Pirates three weeks ago.

De Sa insists: "It happens. It is football and I will tell you that there is nothing behind it. A lot of people are thinking a lot of things but in this case you can see a scan and if you are a doctor you can read the scan and see what it is.”

With the 4-1 Nedbank Cup upset against Maluti FET College, the 3-2 defeat against Moroka Swallows and this week’s draw against Bloemfontein Celtic to deal with, De Sa is under enormous pressure. Defeat against the AmaKhosi would mean an EIGHT POINT GAP and, quite possibly, the end of a turbulent six-month reign for the Mocambique-born former goalkeeper who has, if nothing else, romped through the opening round of the African Champions League.

But Pirates fans would do well to consider the real injury problem in the Buccaneers’ camp. Siya Sangweni, unarguably the key player in Bafana’s African Cup of Nations campaign with two goals and barely a mistake at the back, is the real problem.

Forget Benni and Moeneeb Josephs, they have become peripheral figures. Both will probably head south for Cape Town Ajax at the end of the season, with leadership needed and a cash-injection from Amsterdam promised if McCarthy returns to the Cape, where it all started.

It’s Sangweni, the cattle-loving centre-back from northern Zululand, who is vital.

Just this minute I have received an SMS from De Sa. I asked him how “Ntsimbi” (“Iron” in Zulu) was in training today. He said: “Will assess tomorrow.”

Before Sangweni’s injury three weeks ago, Pirates were on a run of 13 games undefeated. New goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwe had not conceded in five games and they conceded their first PSL goal at the Orlando Stadium late in the game against Celtic on Wednesday.

Sangweni is VITAL to the Pirates. Both as their defensive lynchpin and a scorer of vital goals, in the marauding Pirates style.

When the world’s biggest crowd gather at Soccer City today, Benni McCarthy’s knee – a factor I raised after a chat with West Ham’s chief coach before the World Cup – will no longer be important.

So that’s it. A late fitness test on Ntsimbi – assuming the Iron does not rust - could decide the PSL title tomorrow.

SportsTalk with Udo Carelse airs every night on www.702.co.za at 8pm, we're on from 7-9pm on Fridays and Sundays.  Listen tonight for Vina Maphosa of Kaizer Chiefs and Mickey Modisane from Orlando Pirates going head-to-head before the derby. Follow my twitter updates on the show from @nealcol using the hashtag #sportstalk