Kaizer Chiefs interim coach Cavin Johnson has made a comparison between the iconic Soweto Derby and the intense rivalry of Al Ahly and Zamalek in the Cairo Derby.
Johnson will get his first taste of Soweto Derby since his appointment as the interim coach of The Glamour Boys on Saturday when his troops take on Orlando Pirates.
The two Soweto giants will lock horns in a league clash at FNB Stadium with kickoff set for 15:30.
The former AmaZulu FC and SuperSport United mentor, Johnson took over the coaching reigns at Chiefs from Molefi Ntseki. The latter was fired last month after a poor start to the 2023/24 DStv Premiership season.
Johnson claimed his first victory at Amakhosi when they beat Cape Town Spurs 3-2 at FNB Stadium on Wednesday in a league game. Prior to defeating CT Spurs, Chiefs had lost 2-1 to Golden Arrows on the 28th of October at Mpumalanga Stadium.
His third game at the helm will be the famed Soweto Derby, where three points and the bragging rights are at stake.
Having experienced the Cairo Derby when he was the assistant coach to Pitso Mosimane at Al Ahly in 2020, Johnson has revealed the difference between the North African fixture and the Soweto Derby.
CAVIN JOHNSON ON SEPARATING SUPPORTERS AT STADIUMS
“The one thing that sets them apart is Al Ahly and Zamalek fans are separated in the stadium,” Johnson said.
“So you have one side which is red and white then the other side you have red. Long time ago, we had Black and White [Pirates] on one side then Gold and Black [Chiefs] on the other side.
“If you remember the old Orlando Stadium, then you would know. Recently because of incidents [Ellis Park disaster], the nature of South Africans, we had to mix them in order to have peace amongst the people.
“That’s what caused the mixture of supporters, they [are] still passionate but when they are separated, when you able to separate them and have good atmosphere, then you can compare the Soweto derby and Egyptian derby.”
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