The Soweto Derby, by its nature, has a life of its own, and chief among the protagonists who have shaped this encounter into a unique spectacle are its unpredictable personalities.
Orlando Pirates host their perennial rivals Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday, with not only the attendant thrills and spills expected, but also goals.
While the 'sub-plots' section of this blockbuster will have 'youngsters' written all over it, the small matter of players with the ability to grab the game by the scruff of its neck cannot be understated.
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And in Patrick Maswanganyi in the Black and White corner, as well as smooth operator Gaston Sirino representing the Gold and Black side of Soweto, you have two players who will fight for the last say.
For starters, the man who answers to the sobriquet 'Tito' has a naughty streak about him that has seen him rub referees up the wrong way, but one which on a good day wins his team fouls in dangerous areas.
For all his wizardry on the ball, critics point to 'attitude' and an 'it's-all-about-me' persona as the Tembisa-born star's biggest letdowns.
Maswanganyi has the opportunity to run the show one more time, in the biggest match on the South African football, hot on the heels of a well-taken brace against Richards Bay FC in the Nedbank Cup Last 32 on Sunday.
But as even that game showed, drama follows the star, after he was shown a yellow card for 'diving' in the opposition box, while he also got dispossessed juggling the ball and almost cost his team.
Enter Sirino.
The Venezuelan has been 'pleasure and pain', in equal measure, for the Khosi Nation since signing on the dotted line at the beginning of the season.
After a blistering start in the Amakhosi jersey that saw him score and assist with regularity, the midfielder soon saw his relationship with head coach Nasreddine Nabi sour after allegations of faking injury and refusing to train, among others, surfaced in local media.
This necessitated a lengthy absence from the matchday squad as the Naturena-based club dealt with the issue behind closed doors, whilst injury troubles have not helped the player's cause.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns talisman has since made a return to the line-up, showing glimpses of his artistry in the 4-0 Nedbank Cup annihilation of third-tier club Free Agents FC on Sunday.
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Known as a player who easily gets hot under the collar, it remains to be seen which side of Sirino will turn up at the Calabash for his first Soweto Derby experience.
All of the sideshows aside, the clash provides a massive platform for two of the most gifted PSL players to strut their stuff in front of a sell-out crowd.