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The countdown to his first Soweto derby experience has begun, but Kaizer Chiefs coach Giovanni Solinas downplayed his feelings on the looming epic fixture next Saturday.
In a picture perfectly illustrating the “calm before the storm”, the Italian sat next to his Orlando Pirates counterpart Milutin Sredojevic and engaged in a tête-à-tête during the launch and draw of the Telkom Knockout in Randburg, Johannesburg, on Monday.
Solinas, who yesterday marked four months since his unveiling as the new Amakhosi head coach in July, told City Press that he had not let himself be weighed down by the tradition-steeped fixture.
“The mind don’t need the load. We need to take one game at a time. This is the right manner,” Solinas said after his side was drawn against Black Leopards.
The last 16 fixture that Chiefs will stage next weekend will precede the first competitive Soweto derby of the campaign that Pirates host at FNB Stadium.
“As Chiefs, we need to respect every game.
“The derby is a special game. It’s a football game, not war,” warned Solinas, his words carefully selected considering his limited command of English.
“I want the derby to keep with fair play. The derby is like [a] celebration, we must share the happiness.”
Unlike his predecessors at Chiefs, who tested the waters in preseason “friendly” Soweto derbies such as the Vodacom Challenge and, until recently, the Carling Cup, Solinas will be in charge of the real contest.
This especially as the two Soweto powerhouses are second and third on the log heading into their clash.
“I respect Pirates; they have good players with a fantastic coach. I hope the fans enjoy this game,” added Solinas, whose local derby experience dates back to his days as Free State Stars coach, where he used to face Bloemfontein Celtic in the Free State derby.
In fact, Amakhosi will meet Celtic in the Macufe Cup this afternoon, taking advantage of the Fifa international break.
“We have the Macufe [today]. We will restart [and] work physical and tactical aspects,” said Solinas.
Chiefs have a number of players on international duty as they represent their respective national teams in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, including Itumeleng Khune and Ramahlwe Mphahlele in Bafana Bafana.
Others who are away are Khama Billiat and Teenage Hadebe for Zimbabwe; Godfrey Walusimbi for Uganda; and Virgil Vries for Namibia.
Meanwhile, Sredojevic said he would use the Fifa break to polish his team.
“We are still very far from [the derby]. We are having Fifa days break where we want to polish the team in the best possible way,” said the Serb, whose side was pitted against Chippa United during the Telkom Knockout last 16 draw.
“Respect to the derby, yes, it is the biggest match of the season. We know what it means when the country comes to a standstill, [but] we want to give respect to Chippa.”
Pirates have four players on international duty: Innocent Maela for Bafana; Justin Shonga and Augustine Mulenga for Zambia; and Marshall Munetsi for Zimbabwe.
“The rest of the players will work very hard to provide them with the platform that will help us to have a bridge match against Chippa, which will later on lead towards the derby,” said Sredojevic, who, unlike Solinas, has overseen many Soweto derbies that date back to his first spell as Bucs coach between July 2006 and January 2007.
