The Golden Derby

I found myself back at Soccer City just two weeks after the U2 concert for an event that could not have been more different. We were there for a soccer game, dubbed the Golden Derby. The game pitted the crowd and league favorite Kaizer Chiefs against their bitter rival Orlando Pirates (Premier League teams from the neighboring Soweto township).


Receiving any SMS that contains, "this will be the most authentic..." will have me out the door quickly. For all the griping in my last post, the Golden Derby soccer game was the real deal. For this event the massive stadium was filled with 80,000 passionate black fans and my eight friends. I was forewarned to be careful (which is a wise decision anywhere in Africa) yet the situation could not have been more welcoming.

Walking up to Chiefs vs. Pirates game

I joined Willem and six of his friends and we made our way toward Soweto, but this time on the city bus. The bus was at least triple capacity and filled with excited fans bantering at the opposition, singing team songs, and sounding their vuvuzelas (which was bad enough on ESPN, but in person...unbearable). After tailgating at the stadium for a bit, I scalped a ticket, and we headed into the stadium.


The Chiefs pulled ahead 1-0 in the first 10 minutes setting the stadium ablaze with screaming yellow fans. The score remained that way until the Pirates started pressing as time wound down. They finally netted a goal in extra time to even the score. The game ended in a tie but the Orlando fans acted as if it was the greatest win in their history.


Chiefs take 1-0 lead

If the bus ride to the game was three times capacity, then the bus ride home was fifty times. I would have a picture for you, but I couldn't move enough to get my phone out of my pocket. The match was incredible and probably the closest to a World Cup vibe I will get. The game remained the talk of the town for the following week and probably the biggest game of the year for the native community. It was truly a window into the local life in South Africa and an unlike any other!