Soweto Derby - We chat to Cyril Nzama
Trevor Cramer has Soweto Derby fever. He caught up with Kaizer Chiefs legend, Cyril Nzama, ahead of the 161st meeting between the two bitter rivals on Saturday.
The sparkle and sense of occasion of the Soweto Derby is never lost, even for Amakhosi and Pirates legends who all left their indelible mark on their respective clubs.
Former Kaizer Chiefs captain Cyril Nzama is no exception.
The 42-year-old Soweto-born Nzama was a hard-as-nails defender who co-incidentally made his Chiefs debut in a 1-1 draw against the old enemy in 2000.
Nzama, a Chiefs junior, played for Bay United in the Eastern Cape before returning to his old stomping ground.
Nicknamed 'Skhokho' (The Man) he wore the famous gold Amakhosi jersey 211 times between 2000 and 2008 and also led the side to numerous titles before retiring his number 4 jersey.
Nzama went on to make 44 appearances for Bafana Bafana between 2000 and 2007, including the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan.
Trevor Cramer chatted to Nzama ahead of the 161st edition of the Soweto Derby, which still divides families and splits the sprawling residential area just south of Johannesburg in half.
Nzama says it doesn't get any bigger than the Soweto Derby.
Without leaving any doubt where he'll be on Saturday, the Chiefs legend says it is very hard to put away his Amakhosi cap and he still firmly backs Itumeleng Khune and the boys.
A newly-appointed coach from Scandinavia, Kjell Jonevret, will sit on the Pirates bench. He’ll come up against seasoned veteran and Amakhosi legend himself, Steve Komphela, in a showdown which will add a new dimension to this clash.
Aside from victory in a pre-season Carling Black Label Cup clash, Chiefs boss Komphela has yet to win a derby as their mentor, but they are realistic championship contenders on this occasion. Pirates, on the other hand, are in unfamiliar territory, languishing in the bottom half of the log.
Due to the high stakes and the expectations of the fans, Soweto derbies have often been lacklustre, boring affairs, with a high percentage of drawn games.
On this occasion though, the Naturena team are the favourites based on league position and current form.
But Nzama says form counts for very little in the derby. He believes Pirates are still an extremely dangerous proposition. He also feels that the fate of the match is firmly in the hands of the players.
"It is not about coaches at this time. It is about players and the fans. Coaches can only do so much. The players now need to ensure that they do the right things and stick to the tactical discipline given by the respective coaches," Nzama said.
Nzama also believes that it is not only up to the strikers to deliver goals in the derby.
"You know coaches today are different and the playing systems are different. It is not all about the strikers. Football has changed over the years and you find both your midfielders and defenders scoring goals. People talk about teams playing one striker, but when you look at the team you see maybe three of four attacking players that can go into the box and score goals," Nzama added.
Former Kaizer Chiefs captain Cyril Nzama is no exception.
The 42-year-old Soweto-born Nzama was a hard-as-nails defender who co-incidentally made his Chiefs debut in a 1-1 draw against the old enemy in 2000.
Nzama, a Chiefs junior, played for Bay United in the Eastern Cape before returning to his old stomping ground.
Nicknamed 'Skhokho' (The Man) he wore the famous gold Amakhosi jersey 211 times between 2000 and 2008 and also led the side to numerous titles before retiring his number 4 jersey.
Nzama went on to make 44 appearances for Bafana Bafana between 2000 and 2007, including the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan.
Trevor Cramer chatted to Nzama ahead of the 161st edition of the Soweto Derby, which still divides families and splits the sprawling residential area just south of Johannesburg in half.
Nzama says it doesn't get any bigger than the Soweto Derby.
Without leaving any doubt where he'll be on Saturday, the Chiefs legend says it is very hard to put away his Amakhosi cap and he still firmly backs Itumeleng Khune and the boys.
A newly-appointed coach from Scandinavia, Kjell Jonevret, will sit on the Pirates bench. He’ll come up against seasoned veteran and Amakhosi legend himself, Steve Komphela, in a showdown which will add a new dimension to this clash.
Aside from victory in a pre-season Carling Black Label Cup clash, Chiefs boss Komphela has yet to win a derby as their mentor, but they are realistic championship contenders on this occasion. Pirates, on the other hand, are in unfamiliar territory, languishing in the bottom half of the log.
Due to the high stakes and the expectations of the fans, Soweto derbies have often been lacklustre, boring affairs, with a high percentage of drawn games.
On this occasion though, the Naturena team are the favourites based on league position and current form.
But Nzama says form counts for very little in the derby. He believes Pirates are still an extremely dangerous proposition. He also feels that the fate of the match is firmly in the hands of the players.
"It is not about coaches at this time. It is about players and the fans. Coaches can only do so much. The players now need to ensure that they do the right things and stick to the tactical discipline given by the respective coaches," Nzama said.
Nzama also believes that it is not only up to the strikers to deliver goals in the derby.
"You know coaches today are different and the playing systems are different. It is not all about the strikers. Football has changed over the years and you find both your midfielders and defenders scoring goals. People talk about teams playing one striker, but when you look at the team you see maybe three of four attacking players that can go into the box and score goals," Nzama added.
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