Defender Bradley Cross is hopeful to fulfil his dream of making his Soweto Derby debut on Saturday when Kaizer Chiefs battle Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium.
Cross joined Amakhosi at the start of the 2024/25 season but missed out on the first derby match as he was an unused substitute after coach Nasreddine Nabi opted to start Thatayaone Ditlhokwe in the left-back position.
He is in good standing to make his first appearance against Pirates as Ditlhokwe parted ways with the club in January, while fellow wingback Edmilson Dove’s return from injury is not known.
The former Golden Arrows player was in the starting lineup during Amakhosi’s 2-1 loss against Marumo Gallants.
The 24-year-old acknowledged the magnitude of the derby, adding that he is relishing the opportunity to finally achieve his dream of partaking in it.
“It is a huge occasion and to be part of the Derby has been an ambition of mine, so if I get to play in my first Derby on Saturday, I’ll consider it a big achievement for me, personally,” he revealed on the club’s website.
“It will be a dream come true to play in the Soweto Derby. It’s the biggest match in the country by miles and I have watched it since I was young. Players such as Siphiwe Tshabalala doing his thing have stuck in my memory, and hopefully I get to experience it on the weekend.”
“You just have to block out all the noise and focus on what you have to do,” he continued.
“It’s our job, at the end of the day. My family are all around and they support me, which means a lot to me, but you can’t allow any distractions to interfere with the objective.”
Cross admitted that the Sea Robbers are odds-on favourites, having had a good start to the season and sitting second on the Betway Premiership standings.
“Obviously, they have been doing well recently. We respect them as opponents and acknowledge their ability but I feel we need to focus more on ourselves and getting to where we want to be.
That’s the mentality we are taking into the game. We expect them to come in with confidence and we want to match that from our side.
There is no form book when it comes to the Soweto Derby. Everyone give their absolute best and anything can happen on the day,”