Derby Days

More often than not, when I tell people that I work for Grassroot Soccer, they ask me, “So do you play soccer?”

My answer is a confident, resounding “No.”  I don’t even how the sport works.  Everyone tells me it’s so easy: a team kicks a ball into the other team’s goal.  But there’s definitely much more to it than that.  What the hell is a yellow card?  Why are they doing a “corner kick” or a “throw in”?  What’s the deal with people exaggerating injuries?  Yes, the premise of the game is simple, but the game itself is not.  I have never watched a soccer game, at least any kind of professional match, and I sure as hell would not understand it if I ever did.

So imagine telling me that the one thing I absolutely had to do in South Africa was go to a Soweto Derby, a soccer match between two of South Africa’s most popular teams: the Kaizer Chiefs and the Orlando Pirates.  I likened it to baseball’s Subway Series, and being a New Yorker, that was enough reason to go.  And the whole working for a soccer organization thing, too, made me feel obligated.  Besides, it was a good excuse to visit Johannesburg, the interns living there, and the two GRS sites there: Soweto and Alexandra.

Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city and Southern Africa’s major hub, is a booming city and developing global powerhouse.  Upon coming to South Africa, so many people have told me that I would love Johannesburg.  “It’s the New York of South Africa,” they would say, but I find it more comparable to Los Angeles in its vibe and layout, and if there’s anything more dreaded to a New Yorker than LA, I don’t know what it is.  Still, the 12+ bus ride up the country was worth it.

Though the point of the trip was the Derby, it was an added bonus to visit the GRS sites in Johannesburg, especially since my own site was about to close.  Both sites, Soweto and Alexandra, are unique from each other and drastically different from anything I’ve experienced in Port Elizabeth.

First, I went to Soweto where the GRS office is housed in the rear of the elaborate Nike Football Training Centre, a massive building and space that has a demanding presence within its humble surroundings.  The gargantuan structure is not only a beautifully designed piece of architecture, but it serves many purposes within the sporting community in Soweto.  The facility’s grounds are home to several full-sized soccer pitches that are often being used by many different groups, including the Kaizer Chiefs’ Development Team who were doing drills on the day I was there.

As like any office, there wasn’t too much happening; it was a typical Thursday, after all.  However, I was able to create a wall poster to track Soweto’s Coach Development sessions, which made me happy because my legacy would stay on the wall, even in a small way.  It meant even more to me because in the days leading up to the visit, I was dismantling all the crafts that I had made for the PE office.

The next day, I was able to attend a Coach Development session at the Alexandra site that has been operating out of the newly completed Football for Hope Centre for the past few months.  The brand-spankin’ new facility was spotless even though it has more than enough wear; the coaches would run to the turf pitch every break, and there were many programs run there.  Programs Coordinator Mookie was an interesting foil to Port Elizabeth’s Programs Coordinator Siya, but it was awesome seeing how the contrasting styles and attitudes are able to implement the same things.  The coaches, too, brought their own fun personalities to the table; they apparently like to dance and expected me to twerk for them upon my introduction.

The weekend was filled with lots of great food, awesome company from the interns, and even an attempted carjacking in the Central Business District, but the crown jewel experience of the weekend was amply hyped and highly awaited Soweto Derby.

From the get-go, I decided that I was a Chiefs fan, which I chose not for any reason of team skill, ability, or record – I liked the team’s colors better, and their motto, “Peace and Love” aligns better with my ideals.  Besides, “Amakhosi,” the local translation of the team’s name, sounds really awesome.  I had my allegiances, and because the game was held at Soccer City, the same stadium that hosted the World Cup Finals in 2010 and the Chiefs’ home stadium, I was in good company.

I couldn’t quite tell you what happened during the game, but I’m sure it was very exciting because it kept everyone at the edge of their seats. Since it was the last of the derbies (there were three this season), the crowd was packed like sardines, and a lot of emotions were flying about the stands.  In order to fit in more, since the audience was predominantly Black, I acquired a nice fan shirt and a sick Chiefs cowboy hat, though I don’t know how the latter item really fits into the whole soccer fan kit.  The display of team choice emblazoned on your chest gave people all reason to banter with you.  I could bet that I was one of a handful of Asians in attendance even though the occupancy of the stadium is the nearly 100,000.

Though I had no idea what was going on, I had fun rooting for my chosen team, and it helped that I had an awesome dance partner and fellow Chiefs fan sitting next to me.  I’d like to think that it was our furious singing and dancing that led to my team winning the game, 1-0.  I can proudly say I still don’t know a lick about soccer, but at least I had a lot of fun at my first soccer game.