Former Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates striker Collins Mbesuma has recalled the social pressure of the Soweto Derby and being a target for Tonic Chabalala.
Chiefs and Pirates will lock horns in the first Soweto Derby of the 2025/26 Betway Premiership season on Saturday, 28 February, at the FNB Stadium at 15:30 CAT.
In the build-up to the game, Mbesuma remembered how supporters stopped him in the streets, expressing their desperation to win, while making it clear to him that there was no match more important than the Soweto Derby.
The Zambian legend explained how being a defensive target allowed him to create opportunities for his teammates, recalling an Emmanuel Ngobese goal in particular.
COLLINS MBESUMA: ‘THEY TOLD ME TO FORGET ABOUT OTHER GAMES’
“It is one of the biggest derbies in Africa and the world,” Mbesuma said on SuperSport TV. “It was my first time playing it. I remember I was the top scorer; I was in good form at the time.
“Every time I met people in public, they all said we had to beat Pirates. They told me to forget about other games; the derby was the one. That game was the most important for us to win.”
The former striker added: “I was surprised, but I was not worried. They knew Ntofontofo was coming. The messages used to come one week, one month before, but I was not worried at all. I was confident about doing business.
“I did not score, but I still did damage. What I did was create space for the team. They [Pirates]worried too much about me, they put the bus on me. They followed me everywhere. The defenders even followed me to drink water. I looked behind me, and he was there.
“That Pirates defender… what’s his name? Tonic Chabalala. That is why Emmanuel Ngobese scored. That defender followed me far away from the danger area.”
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