Retired midfield hardman Willard Katsande has handed down the most brutal advice to the myriad of players that will be making their Soweto derby debuts in front of a crowd on Saturday.
Domestic football's blockbuster tie is back on the menu before fans for the first time since February 2020 when Lebogang Manyama scored the goal that made the difference.
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Katsande had the roughest start to the 10 years that he spent at Chiefs making his debut for the club against Orlando Pirates in the 2011 MTN8 final before being thrown again into the lion's den the following week against the same opponents in a league meeting.
This meant his first two games in a Chiefs jersey were against Pirates and he went on to feature 27 times in this fixture through his time at Naturena.
"I'm not sure if anyone has ever had the start of their time at Chiefs the way I had it so it is for that reason that I say this fixture rings loud bells to me and I hope my voice will be heard by those playing in this fixture before fans for the first time from our side Chiefs," Katsande tells KickOff.
Chiefs have Brandon Petersen, Edmilson Dove, Zitha Kwinika, Njabulo Ngcobo, Sifiso Hlanti, Yusuf Maart, Kamohelo Mahlatsi, Keagan Dolly, Cole Alexander, Dillan Solomons, Phathutshedzo Nange, Lehlogonolo Matlou, Siyethemba Sithebe, Ashley du Preez, Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana, Kgaogelo Sekgota, and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo who have all never played this fixture in front of a crowd.
"I hope that all these guys won't be affected by the occasion, and I hope they are prepared for what is coming on Saturday in front of about 94 000 fans which is a first for all of them.
"I played my first derby with blanks in my head about what was coming and worse was that it was a cup final.
"This is not just another match.
"This is about life.
"You need to know that when you are at Chiefs you must mature quickly because they don't have the patience, and this is the stage.
"This is different, and I had a scary experience when making my debut because I never saw anything when I came on in that final.
"It is more than just a football match and I say so because I felt it and my mouth was always white after just 10 minutes as if I had been eating Nando's rolls.
"To the new guys no need to panic, don't be consumed by the occasion, and just enjoy the moment because you will want to look back with pride.
"Even as an experienced player you feel the difference because there is pride at stake.
"I hope both teams open in the way they play, and we get goals so that the packed FNB enjoys this.
"Right now, Pirates look like they have the edge, but form doesn't matter in the derby.
"The derby is about pride and hunger, so I feel the new players need to know that this is different.
"This is Chiefs against Pirates and there is no other fixture that comes even close to this in South Africa.
"I was lucky that as a village boy I was able to grow from the scare I got in the derby and went on to survive in the ocean and establish myself as long as I did in the derby," says Katsande.
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