You may be thinking that today’s Soweto Derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates (3pm) is not worth even lifting a finger to get you out of your warm bed because there will be plenty of these, with much more at stake, to go around throughout the new campaign.
Wrong.
Sure, the Carling Black Label Cup - now in its fifth year - still has a gimmicky element to it because Amakhosi and Buccaneers coaches past and present have not had a say in picking the starting line-up. This is left to the fans, who have been voting for months.
They will also get to make one substitution in the first half, but that is as far as their involvement goes. Yes, the fan coaches will be in the dugout getting ‘tips’ from Steve Komphela of Chiefs and his Pirates counterpart, Muhsin Ertugral, but it will not be they who are under scrutiny.
The FNB Stadium was sold out more than a week ago, bringing to our attention two things. First is that supporters are thirsty (excuse the pun) for domestic football as there is a long break between the end of May and the new season kicking off late this month.
Second is that there is so much excitement and anxiety among both sets of fans, whose beloved clubs underperformed last season.
Chiefs gave up the Absa Premiership title without really putting up a fight and finished fifth during Komphela’s first year in charge.
The Pirates - under Eric Tinkler, who has since been replaced by Ertugral - ended a disappointing term in seventh position on the log table in their final league match.
There were zero trophies for two of the most loved football teams and frequent visitors on the winners’ podium.
It makes sense that the clubs went shopping. Amakhosi have recruited 10 new players. Pirates have brought in the same number, if not more. None of the fresh faces have cracked the starting line-up. Fans are fickle, but predictable.
That is where Komphela and Ertugral get to give us a glimpse of what to expect when the Premier League curtain goes up. Given that it is a Soweto Derby, the coaches will probably want to make sure their instructions are followed to the letter.
It’s worth noting the players may try to do so from the first kick. They aren’t really going to listen to a fan coach, who met them for the first time this week and who has been given 45 minutes on the bench, are they?
Many are playing to guarantee their places in the team for the better part of the new season.
Chiefs players are under pressure to show they have the quality to ‘reclaim the glory’. Pirates know they will be under the watchful eye of a man who has sent Sifiso Myeni packing, despite the winger’s having been an integral part of the squad in the past two seasons and featuring in 22 of the club’s 30 league matches during the previous campaign.
They simply have to be good enough today.
Do yourself a favour and watch today’s Soweto Derby. It may not be such a gimmick after all.
lFollow Mazola Molefe on Twitter@superjourno - Saturday Star