Saturday’s game between The Amakhosi and their old foes Orlando Pirates will make a return to the Ellis Park Stadium after an absence of just over six years, as the last time the two teams met there on the 11th April 2001.

With the scores tied at 1-1 the game had to be halted midway through the first half, as it became evident that due to a stampede, a number of fans had lost their lives.

Arthur Zwane, who was on the field for Chiefs that evening, was a rookie in gold and black at the time as the 2000-2001 season was his first with Chiefs.

The events that unfolded that evening had stayed with Zwane for many months after that. Zwane believes that playing the game at Ellis Park is a good thing; he shares with kaizerchiefs.com the emotions ahead of the game as well as other memories from this famous of football derbies.

KC.COM: Arthur run us through your feelings ahead of the game, looking at the fact that this game will be played at Ellis Park and Chiefs and Pirates have not played each other there since the tragic events of April 2001?

AZ: The events of the evening stayed in my memory for a very long time there after, it took a lengthy healing period to eventually have it out of my mind and I do feel that going back to Ellis Park to play against Pirates will allow us to move forward. There can also be no hiding the fact that it will bring a couple of tears to the eyes when we walk out onto the field for the game. To have been part of a game where people lost their lives is something you try to think as little about as possible.

KC.COM: Should Chiefs win the game will you be dedicating the win to the memory of the fans that lost their lives in April 2001?

AZ: Most definitely there can be no question about that. Not just if we win but we will be playing the game with them in our thoughts and our minds, when they came to the game these fans expected to watch and entertaining game of football. So the little we can do to honour them is to put up a good showing on the field of play for them, as the banner held up certain Chiefs fans says ‘every game we play for you’ rings true for us especially when it comes to a Chiefs vs Pirates game even more so because this weekend the game will be at Ellis Park.

KC.COM: You have been a Chiefs player for some seven seasons now, what have been some of the low points from games that you have played against The Buccaneers?

AZ: Any time we have lost to them has been a low point for me, if I can jog my mind back I think that the worst game must have been in December 2001 when they defeated us 3-0. What really added insult to injury on that occasion was the fact that in the weeks leading up to the game we were in good form and had already beaten them once in the BP Top8 semifinal, so we had expected to win the game and we lost without really putting up a fight.

KC.COM: From the bad to the good, what have been the better moments against them?

AZ: There have been many. Let me start in chronological order, my first official game against them was in the 2001 BP Top8 semifinal and we won the game 1-0. Having been a Pirates player before, the victory tasted sweeter for me, after that I must rank the game that we beat them 2-0 last season. I was not expecting to play in the game as I had an injury but I worked hard all week and the day before the game the medical staff gave me the all clear, and the team Doctor drove me himself to join up with the rest of the team in the camp outside of Johannesburg. My inclusion in the game caught Pirates by surprise, as they were not expecting me to play in the game - I was also concerned that I might not be match fit but thankfully the coache’s gamble in playing me paid off.

KC.COM: Going into Saturday’s game the team has won just one of the last four games, having drawn one and lost two. How is the mood in the team and are the guys confident of winning the game, how will the injuries and suspensions affect the team?

AZ: The old saying when it comes to the Soweto derby says read nothing into the form of either team as the match approaches. Both teams have been having it a bit rough recently but this game is a one-off where neither team needs no motivating, there is a lot of tradition at play. And with your team’s honour at stake neither team wants to be on the losing end. So from our end we have discussed the matters and are ready to give a much improved team effort for the game and remember we are fighting for a top-eight finish and if we do not win on Saturday that could be in jeopardy.