Davids calls for polished Soweto derby officiating

There is a bit of concern for Orlando Pirates co-coach Fadlu Davids heading to their DStv Premiership fixture against Kaizer Chiefs at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

Davids wasn’t happy with the officiating in the team’s last meeting, which ended up seeing Amakhosi emerge as 2-1 winners thanks to a late penalty scored by Kegan Dolly after the Buccaneers managed to equalize with only three minutes left of regular time.

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The Pirates’ co-coach wasn’t happy with how Chiefs striker Khama Billiat won the penalty after the referee judged Olisa Ndah for a foul inside the box on the Zimbabwean, which called for defeat for his side in the previous meeting.

“I hope we can really be clear in relating to penalty decisions tomorrow (Saturday), clear structure and decisions should be neutral on both sides. Yes, you talk about the Billiat incident. But we know Billiat. He is a player that when you touch him, a small touch or contact inside the box, he is already diving, Olympic fall (diving),” said the Pirates mentor.

“I hope the referees are clear and know these things and knowing that any contact in and around the box, Pirates concede another penalty. We know what is coming, especially when it comes to Chiefs, and especially Billiat. We took the positives out of the last derby, we conceded in the last minute. But coming back the way we did and dominating the way we did, we take those positives.”

Meanwhile, having won the first derby of the season, Baxter knows exactly what to expect from their Soweto neighbours. The Amakhosi coach reveals that when it comes to the derby, it’s all about trying to make things difficult for your opponents.

“I think if you look at Pirates throughout history, they have a certain style. No matter which players they have, they have a certain ethic they uphold. I think Chiefs look the same in a different way, the coach comes in and puts in the same strategy and they tweak. And when it gets to the derby, you look at your opponents and say, well can we tweak something on the day to make it more unpleasant for our opponents? And we will try to do that,” said the Amakhosi coach.

“What we do know is that Pirates will play quickly, they will mix their game, they will go behind you sometimes, and they will play in front of you sometimes. They have quick players and it is usually a physical game because it is a derby and the mental part is important.”

With Pirates (fourth on log) and Chiefs (third on log) tied on 32 points having played 21 and 18 league games respectively, the battle will be for maximum points, with the winner going on second spot on the league table on the day.