Orlando Pirates legend Teboho Moloi says the last time he witnessed a Soweto Derby like Saturday’s was when he was still an assistant coach at the club.
Both Pirates and their biggest rivals Kaizer Chiefs delivered on what South Africans have been missing in past derbies, giving the spectators an end-to-end type of match where five goals were scored.
Hosts Bucs defeated Amakhosi 3-2.
Moloi says both coaches should be given credit for bringing back the spark in the Soweto Derby.
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"We should give it to both coaches and also give it to the boys. Sometimes we don't appreciate good things," Moloi tells KickOff.
"At Pirates, we once had Graham Johnson as a teammate, he is Cavin Johnson's brother. He used to play right-back for Orlando Pirates. He was part of that 1987 JPS Cup Final team.
"So whenever we went to fetch Graham Johnson because we were traveling in a kombi, Cavin Johnson would always give us a word of advice as Pirates players.
"This man has always been a coach since early age. Cavin Johnson understands the derby, hence he didn't go to Saturday’s derby as a defensive coach. He approached the derby as he always wished to do if he could get a chance to coach one of the two big teams in the country, and on Saturday he proved himself.
"He has brought back Nkosingiphile Ngcobo into the fold. Just recently, he managed to bring back the belief in Wandile Duba, and most recently he promoted Mfundo Vilakazi from the DDC.
"It tells you this man understands the football culture that must be there at Kaizer Chiefs. Fani Madida, Doctor Khumalo, Ntsie Maphike, Trevor Mthimkhulu and Wellington Manyathi were all introduced at an early age.
"Cavin Johnson is bringing back the Kaizer Chiefs culture of having a good relationship between their development structures and the senior team.
"On Saturday, I wasn't surprised to see what I saw because he understands the derby.
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"I must also give credit to my coach [Jose Riveiro]. Give this man three years. Let's do to him what we did for Ruud Krol. In the third year of his current contract, he understands he needs to bring us the league.
"Both coaches played an open game because they understand the Soweto Derby culture.
"I'm applauding the players for giving us a five-goal thriller. The last time I witnessed a five-goal thriller in a derby I was still an assistant coach. Benni McCarthy scored a brace, Daine Klate scored, and Chiefs replied through Siphiwe Tshabalala and Lehlohonolo Majoro. It finished 3-2.
"So in Saturday’s game, there was aexcitement, it was end to end. The young man, Relebohile Mofokeng, he brought in the flavour. And on the Chiefs side, you could see Vilakazi he was itching to come on. Saturday’s game kept you on the edge of your seat, I didn't even see the second goal because I was still at the toilet. I just went quickly to the toilet because bengiminyile nami. When I returned, I came back to a 2-2 scoreline.
"Thanks to the boys, the flair that was being demanded was done correctly. They knew where to do it, when to do it, and why am I doing it.
"The fact that even the president was there was a cherry on top. Whoever is going to criticize something from that derby needs to go and see a doctor.
"We must give credit where it's due, we've been crying for goals in the derby, and these boys gave us five."
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