Khoza’s dressing-room call showed Arendse the true meaning of the Soweto Derby

Former Orlando Pirates defender Tyren Arendse has recalled the remarkable build-up to his first Soweto Derby, when chairman Irvin Khoza phoned the dressing room and spoke personally to every player.

Arendse joined Pirates from Santos in 2004 and experienced the intensity surrounding the fixture against Kaizer Chiefs from inside the club. The two Soweto rivals meet at FNB Stadium on Saturday in the Betway Premiership.

“The feeling starts from Monday at training because you know something is coming that weekend,” Arendse told KickOff.

“You can feel the vibe. Everybody wants to play and everybody wants to be involved. Even on the streets, you sense that something is coming.”

Arendse said the derby week had a different effect on the squad, including players who might not always give their full effort in training.

“There are players who are always going through emotions and don’t really put everything in every day, but when it’s that week of the derby you sense the vibe all round,” he said.

He then described the unexpected moment that stood out from his first appearance in the fixture.

“I still remember my first derby; the manager received a phone call right inside the dressing room before the game, then he started passing the phone to every player in the changeroom,” Arendse said.

“It was my turn, and when I said ‘Hello’, on the other side of the line it was the chairman, Irvin Khoza. I was surprised.”

Khoza delivered the same message to each member of the team, urging them to give their best and compete for Pirates.

“To each and everyone of us, he was saying, ‘Please just give your best, have a good game, fight for the team’, those types of things,” Arendse added. “That was special.”

The former Pirates player has also taken part in the Tshwane Derby between SuperSport United and Mamelodi Sundowns, but believes the occasion does not match the scale of the Soweto fixture.

“I played in the Tshwane Derby, SuperSport United versus Mamelodi Sundowns, but you can’t compare,” he said.