Cape gets ready for Santos-Ajax derby

It's derby time again - and hopefully this one is going to make the annals of hot-blooded football clashes in the good old Cape tradition. It's time for 22 players to put their bodies on the line to defend their half of the Mother City. It's time for the fans to do their bit to try and secure the bragging rights until the next battle.

It's time for Santos against Ajax Cape Town at Athlone Stadium at 8pm. And you know what? Cape derbies are not supposed to be for the faint-hearted.

It's true, however, that modern-day versions have been rather mundane affairs, devoid of the raw passion, unwavering commitment and that don't-want-to-lose-to-the-neighbours-because-we-hate-them attitude.

Gone are the days when spectators were treated to a true-blue football war, when referees were almost certain to flash a red card (or two) on derby day, when friends became enemies for 90 minutes.

That was when Cape Town Spurs and Glenville, Cape Town City and Hellenic, and later Santos and Glendene used to entertain local fans with entertaining football laced with bitter rivalry.

When a teammate went down in a tackle, the entire team would rush to his aid. Someone on the bench being flashed a red card as a result was simply par for the course.

A heated war of words would start as soon as the teams assembled in the players' tunnel before the match. However, everyone usually lived to tell the tale and got to enjoy the social drink afterwards.

One school of thought is that Cape clubs these days boast too many foreigners who may not be as passionate about protecting their territory. But that's not necessarily true, because some of the most-passionate derbies ever were between City and Hellenic, who were pioneers in recruiting players from abroad.

Are today's footballers perhaps too soft?

Ajax, for their part, boast enough youthful exuberance to run Santos ragged all night, but they're certainly not as streetwise. A bit of sledging could therefore go a long way towards winning the psychological battle.

Urban Warriors coach Craig Rosslee is no stranger to the demands of a Cape derby. He was no angel on the football pitch and certainly took no prisoners during an illustrious career with Hellenic, Cape Town Spurs and Santos.

"I suppose derbies were a lot more hectic in the old days," he said. "It's not that you would go out and kick at everything that moved, but the fear of losing against the neighbours was real and the bragging normally went on for ever, hence the short fuses."

Santos counterpart Jean Marc Ithier warned that his charges would not stand back if Ajax adopted a physical approach.

"There's always a bit more needle in derby matches, and obviously tempers could flare at any time," he said.

"I don't know how (Ajax) will approach the match, but if they try and go for a physical scrap, my players would obviously not simply stand by. We have some youngsters in the team who have yet to gain the mental strength that goes with volatile derbies, but having said that, I am sure that they know how to take care of themselves on the pitch."

The former Santos star had been under severe pressure after a slow start to the season, but yesterday he cut a relaxed figure after his side kept up their recent improved form with a 1-0 away win over SuperSport United in midweek.

"The boys played with such commitment and produced organised football throughout. This is a great time to be going into the derby, because our tails are up and we know we can close the gap (to Ajax on the log) by gaining maximum points (tomorrow)."

Players likely to get booked are Erwin Isaacs, Mogogi Gabonamong and Wayne Arendse from Santos and Hans Vonk, Bryce Moon, Eyong Eno and Terror Fanteni on the Ajax side.

Isaacs, the scorer of the winner against United, is the best bet for a red card.