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- The verbal exchanges between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs have intensified ahead of Saturday's Soweto derby at Soccer City.
- Nineteen-year-old Wandile Duba's cheeky warning to Pirates that "I'm coming" after he scored in Chiefs' mid-week win against Golden Arrows was the first salvo fired.
- But the Buccaneers' star defender, Olisa Ndah, was not bothered by the "little guy's" words.
- For more sports news, go to the News24 Sport front page.
A Soweto derby isn't complete without a sprinkle of verbal jousting.
In derby week, broadcasters, fans and journalists alike eagerly wait for a fiery salvo to land from either the Orlando Pirates or Kaizer Chiefs camp to set the stage for an electrifying showdown.
With both teams in the shadow of Mamelodi Sundowns in what looks to be another one-horse DStv Premiership title race, the interest in the iconic clash between the two Soweto neighbours has dimmed in recent seasons.
And rightly so. Amakhosi have gone nearly a decade without any major silverware and their problems run deep - from quick turnover in coaches to players suffering injuries, they are a club that seems to be in an eternal restructuring phase.
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As for the Buccaneers, while they have claimed four cup titles in the past four seasons, the 'Big Fish' that is a league title has escaped them for 12 years.
But the words uttered by a young Chiefs midfielder, the 19-year-old Wandile Duba, who had just ended his club's goalless run spanning five hours of football when he scored against the struggling Golden Arrows on Tuesday, stirred the Soweto derby pot anew to entice an appetite for this old clash of giants at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
"It's not something that you can worry about," Duba said when asked about whether he was injured after the win against Arrows.
"I think the physios will do something, but I'll be okay for the derby.
Those three points could not have come at a better time for Chiefs, who ended their winless run in 2024.
And then Pirates had the wind knocked out of their sails on Wednesday when a late equaliser from Tanzanian forward Gadiel Michael Kamagi earned relegation threatened Cape Town Spurs a vital point.
At the Soweto derby press conference on Thursday, Buccaneers defender Olisa Ndah shrugged at Duba's cheeky warning.
"No, I don't think it's a challenge, they just scored a goal," he told journalists.
"I'm not worried about what the little guy said, I think he is more excited. So, I'm just looking forward to the next game on Saturday. We have to deliver."
At 26, Ndah has solidified his role in the Pirates setup post-injury, with head coach Jose Riveiro opting to often use the Nigerian at the heart of defence.
He has braved several derbies in the past, including the infamous own goal that slipped past him last February, handing the Chiefs a victory.
In the first half of this campaign, Pirates broke a five-match losing streak in league derbies against Chiefs and are aiming for their first league double over their rivals since 2008/09.
But Ndah believes Chiefs' knack for rising to the occasion often tips the scales in the Amakhosi's favour.
"I think because the derby motivates them like it does us. No matter what, no matter how bad we're playing, it’s a derby where everyone is at their best and everyone wants to deliver," he said.
"So, I think it's more like on the occasion because they know how important it is, so they become more difficult to play."
Kick-off at Soccer City is at 15:30 on Saturday.
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