Sunday's Carling Black Label Cup might be dubbed a pre-season friendly, but there is nothing cordial about the encounter, according to former Kaizer Chiefs defender, Tefu Mashamaite.
The towering centre-back who retired from the game to start his own footballing agency knows all about the ferocity of the Soweto Derby – he has played his fair share of them.
According to Mashamaite, he holds no memory of the match ever being a laid-back encounter despite the spectacle being centred around the fans and their say regarding who makes the starting XI for both Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
"Even if it doesn't hold the same prestige as the league or a cup final, it does hold some value, I mean its Chiefs vs Pirates, and there is history in the rivalry, so it has its own prestige," Mashamaite said speaking exclusively to the Siya crew.
"I remember all the times we played in the Carling Cup, the stadium was always packed so that was a sign that supporters took it seriously, so who are we to say that we can treat it as a pre-season tournament? We also had to come to the party in terms of our preparation and approach for the game on the day."
Mashamaite also touched on the banter that takes place between players regarding the voting system and singled out Itumeleng Khune, who was in a league of his own when it came to garnering votes from the adoring fans.
"It's not that over-projected because we had a coach (Stuart Baxter) who discouraged that we need to look at ourselves more as teammates than individuals, so it was something amongst ourselves. I remember Khune used to be far ahead of the pack regardless of whether it was Pirates or Chiefs, he was on his own level so, we spoke about such things. For me ever since I've been at Chiefs I was always voted in, I've never started the game on the bench, so it goes a long way in validating the belief that the supporters have in you," he added.
The match is scheduled for 15:00 at the Orlando Stadium this Sunday.
