The Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at Coca Cola Park on Saturday was a good advert for the local game.
The Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at Coca Cola Park on Saturday was a good advert for the local game.
Both sides produced spellbinding football that enthralled an impressive and boisterous 51 616 crowd at this 56 000-seater stadium.
The match, made it's own history - Pirates beat Chiefs in all matches they played this season. This is a first since the inception of the PSL in 1996 and was used as a trial run for the 2010 World Cup with Fifa representatives in attendance.
The crowd, though there were some potentially dangerous incidents during the match, behaved and this should have gone down well with Fifa.
The match between Bloemfontein Celtic and Pirates, which was also used as a trial run for the quadrennial soccer fiesta at Free State Stadium on April 5, was also a success story in terms of attendance.
These are signs that people may flock to the stadiums during the Confederations Cup, which kicks off in our shores on June 14 and ends on the 28th.
I said a short prayer during Saturday's match for the safety of some overzealous spectators who broke down a fence not to get hurt.
But security was there to ensure that supporters did no get on to the pitch. The Buccaneers' Mickey Modisane also appealed to them not to and they listened.
This proved that spectators can be well-behaved if our clubs spread the gospel of good behaviour at the stadiums.
Most fans benefited from the park-and-ride system. But it seemed there was a lack of communication between the Premier Soccer League and the Wits University management at the West Campus in Braamfontein.
Some people were denied access to the premises from the Empire Road side as had been planned and were forced to use the other parking lot in Enoch Sontonga Road.
Journalists, including photographers carrying heavy equipment, had to return to the West Campus.
The PSL apologised to the affected people and promised that that will not happen again.
But everything went appropriately after the match as buses arrived on time to ferry fans and journalists to where they' d parked their cars.
Even with glitches the derby was good trial
The Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at Coca Cola Park on Saturday was a good advert for the local game.
The Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at Coca Cola Park on Saturday was a good advert for the local game.
Both sides produced spellbinding football that enthralled an impressive and boisterous 51 616 crowd at this 56 000-seater stadium.
The match, made it's own history - Pirates beat Chiefs in all matches they played this season. This is a first since the inception of the PSL in 1996 and was used as a trial run for the 2010 World Cup with Fifa representatives in attendance.
The crowd, though there were some potentially dangerous incidents during the match, behaved and this should have gone down well with Fifa.
The match between Bloemfontein Celtic and Pirates, which was also used as a trial run for the quadrennial soccer fiesta at Free State Stadium on April 5, was also a success story in terms of attendance.
These are signs that people may flock to the stadiums during the Confederations Cup, which kicks off in our shores on June 14 and ends on the 28th.
I said a short prayer during Saturday's match for the safety of some overzealous spectators who broke down a fence not to get hurt.
But security was there to ensure that supporters did no get on to the pitch. The Buccaneers' Mickey Modisane also appealed to them not to and they listened.
This proved that spectators can be well-behaved if our clubs spread the gospel of good behaviour at the stadiums.
Most fans benefited from the park-and-ride system. But it seemed there was a lack of communication between the Premier Soccer League and the Wits University management at the West Campus in Braamfontein.
Some people were denied access to the premises from the Empire Road side as had been planned and were forced to use the other parking lot in Enoch Sontonga Road.
Journalists, including photographers carrying heavy equipment, had to return to the West Campus.
The PSL apologised to the affected people and promised that that will not happen again.
But everything went appropriately after the match as buses arrived on time to ferry fans and journalists to where they' d parked their cars.
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