Orlando Pirates legend Jerry Sikhosana has opened up on being the only player to score a hat-trick in the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs as well as on the rivalry with Brian Baloyi.
Go back in time to the year 1996, fierce rivals would lock horns at the old FNB Stadium in what would be a fateful day in the history of South African football, and even more so for one Jerry Sikhosana.
The man nicknamed 'Legs of Thunder' would score three past Chiefs' goalkeeper with the reflexes of a cat, Baloyi, in a memorable 4-1 hammering of their old foes.
READ | 'Legs of Thunder' pleads Broos caution on Pirates sensation
That would be the very last time any single player would achieve the feat of scoring three in a Soweto Derby, at least as of June 2024.
Speaking to media at the recent launch of the Siyabonga Sangweni Sports Complex in Dondotha, KwaZulu-Natal, the Tembisa-born man opened up on the rivalry and made some surprising revelations too.
"Because Brian gave me three goals in the derby," Sikhonana jokingly responded when asked how it is that he's the last player to score a hat-trick in the iconic fixture.
"He's my friend, he is my colleague. I'll tell you the story now, it's a true story.
"You are talking to a Pirates [player] on the outside, but you are talking to a Chiefs [fan] on the inside, and that will never change.
"Now [in the derby] there was a Chiefs inside of me, trying to score on the side where I knew I wouldn't hurt my club; the goalkeeper would save these shots.
"But unfortunately, the goalkeeper is a Chiefs [player] on the outside but a Pirates [fan] on the inside, ha, ha, ha.
"So, that's how it was. People always want to talk about it. We are so close. I roped him into Hollywoodbets because he is my colleague, he understands and people always want to see it. It was not a rivalry. When you talk about Chiefs vs Pirates [yes it was]. but it's about school football. School football gave us the platform.
#SowetoDerby takes centre stage this weekend. Unfortunately, the game lacks characters, lack positive controversy, teams are too friendly to each other.
— African Soccer Updates (@Africansoccerup) January 29, 2021
Recent modern era #SowetoDerby, the Brian Baloyi vs Jerry Sikhosana battle kept the fire burning, this element is missing. pic.twitter.com/lzvB9iunms
"Brian was my goalkeeper and I was his 'pressure', without even knowing that he would go to Chiefs and I was going to Pirates.
"We were still at school as friends. We grew up together and made that bond, where people thought there was a rivalry. there was no rivalry.
"After the game, I would go to Brian, he would come to Tembisa. That's how it is. Even now, you can see we're are good buddies."
Although these days the derby is a little less intense, the last encounter between the two giants produced a five-goal thriller in which The Buccaneers walked away 3-2 winners.
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