Chiefs vs Pirates hits Euro TV
Brad Morgan
23 November 2007
Kaizer Chiefs versus Orlando Pirates is the biggest soccer derby in South Africa. Many South Africans claim it is one of the biggest derbies in the world. That's an opinion, of course, but Europe will get a chance to see whether it is valid or not when, for the first time, the clubs' clash on 24 November will be broadcast in 43 European countries.
Eurosport, Europe's largest sports satellite and cable network, will televise the game to an audience that could be as high as 22.3-million households.
Commentary will be in nine languages: English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Polish, Romanian, Greek, Turkish and Norwegian.
Record television ratings
With the match also being shown throughout Africa, it is expected to draw record television ratings.
The clash will be played in Durban, one day before the Fifa World Cup preliminary draw takes place in the coastal city.
As many as 3 000 guests are
expected for the draw, giving them an opportunity to take in South Africa's most passionate club match and the majority of Fifa guests and journalists in Durban for the draw have requested accreditation for the derby.
Irvin Khoza, chairman of Orlando Pirates and chairman of the SA Organising Committee for the World Cup, reckons it is a great opportunity for Durban to show soccer fans what to expect when the World Cup is played in South Africa in 2010.
He said the importance of the Soweto derby cannot be underestimated; its is an opportunity for South Africa to show the world that Fifa did not err in awarding the Rainbow Nation the right to host the World Cup, he explained.
'In the top 10 derbies'
Khoza believes the television deal proves that Chiefs versus Pirates is one of the greatest derbies in the soccer world. "This confirms the power of this game," he said, "because it is, after all, in the top 10 derbies."
He also hit out
at suggestions that the derby has lost its lustre, pointing to the Eurosport deal as proof that it remains a huge drawcard. "Why would Eurosport want to televise it live in so many countries if it was not important?" he asked.
Admittedly, Pirates are currently seventh in the Premier Soccer League standings, while Chiefs occupy eleventh spot, but derbies are not about clashes between the top teams, they are about traditional-filled showdowns between long-time rivals. For instance, there are few people who would claim that either Newcastle United or Sunderland is a giant of the English game, but many would rate their derby as one of football's biggest rivalries.
Historically, the Buccaneers and the Amakhosi are threats to win numerous titles year in and year out, and one down year - and it is admittedly early in the 2007 season - doesn't detract from the status the two clubs hold in South African soccer. Giants of the game, around the world, will from time to time have
forgettable seasons, but they soon rise to prominence again.
As two of the richest and best supported teams in the country, there is every reason to believe Chiefs and Pirates will both be challenging for titles sooner rather than later.
Three major soccer events
The derby is one of three major soccer events happening in South Africa at the same time. As mentioned earlier, the Fifa World Cup draw takes place on 25 November, also in Durban, while Soccerex, the world's largest business-to-business football exhibition opens at the Sandton Convention Centre on the same day and runs through to 28 November.
Over 5 000 delegates are expected to attend Soccerex, along with over 300 exhibitors from 90 countries. Johannesburg will host the event for the next three years.
Many of the Fifa delegates in Durban for the World Cup draw will, no doubt, also be visiting Soccerex, which will be opened by Fifa President Sepp Blatter.
Leading clubs represented
Some of the world's foremost clubs will be represented at the expo, with Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates being joined by, among others, AC Milan, Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, FC Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Real Madrid.
Seeing the Buccaneers and Amakhosi in the company of those famous European-based clubs, shows their importance in South African club football, but it is, arguably and more significantly, an indication that their rivalry is one of the greatest of all rivalries in the beautiful game.
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