Wednesday, December 05, 2007

A Soweto Derby (in Durban)

The FIFA Preliminary World Cup Draw was anything but exciting. I was glad to have been spared the pain of the draw as I was photographing the cricket just around the corner. The Soweto derby played between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates the night before at Kings Park Stadium on the other hand was great.

Apart from a great game of football the fans make the entire experience. I have covered many rugby matches including this years Super 14 final, and love the feel of game day in Durban. The Sharks fans and general mood make working on a Saturday evening tolerable. And the same can be said of the Chiefs and Pirates fans.

Although the mood is entirely different to the rugby crowd, it is just as compelling. The energy is completely frantic and the vuvuzelas are louder than one can imagine. Although there have been incidents of fan violence in the past this night the fans were on form.

If you have not been to a big game I can highly recommend the experience.

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