Kaze v Ouaddou: Soweto derby debutants seek ‘month of happiness’ in sold-out clash

ASOWETO derby has a way of cutting through everything — form, excuses, and long-term plans.

- MIHLALI BALEKA & SMISO MSOMI

For Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze, tomorrow’s showdown carries consequences that stretch well beyond the 90 minutes.Chiefs welcome Orlando Pirates to a sold-out FNB Stadium, with both sides licking their wounds after recent defeats and eager to reset their seasons in the most unforgiving fixture on the calendar. For Kaze, the stakes are personal. While he has been part of the technical staff in previous derbies, this will be his first taste of full responsibility on South Africa’s biggest stage.

Across the technical area will stand Abdeslam Ouaddou, a newcomer to the Soweto spectacle and another coach facing the harsh reality that history has rarely been kind to debutants in this fixture.

Chiefs’ buildup has been far from ideal. Amakhosi have suffered back-to-back defeats to Stellenbosch FC, while also bowing out of the Nedbank Cup and the CAF Confederation Cup.