Hadebe not intimidated ahead of his first Soweto Derby

Teenage Hadebe says the Soweto Derby is bigger than any club match he’s played, but he added that he’s not intimidated.

Kaizer Chiefs face Orlando Pirates on Saturday afternoon, and the defender is likely to feature in the encounter for the first time.

“For me‚ I’m sure it’s a big game because I’ve played in big derbies back home in Zimbabwe.

“But I can’t compare because the capacity at home could be 20 000‚ whereas here we are talking of 90 000 people,” said the 22-year-old Hadebe in an interview with Times Live, a South African news website.

“Obvious you’re going to have that fear, but as a player, you have to be mentally strong.

“It will be a good experience to play in front of the big crowds.”

Hadebe missed the first installment of the tie played in October due to an ankle injury he sustained before the season started.

Other Zimbabweans expected to play in the derby are Chiefs midfielder Willard Katsande and Pirates’ Marshall Munetsi. Katsande joined the rest of the team on Wednesday after he missed the previous game against Bloemfontein Celtic following the passing of his mother.

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