Orlando Pirates will feel the bite of battle-scarred Kaizer Chiefs midfielder 'Die Hond' Parker

Cape Town — The adage goes 'every dog has its day' and on Saturday, Kaizer Chiefs midfielder-cum striker Bernard Parker, aka 'Die Hond', hopes it will be his on hostile territory at Orlando Stadium

Parker had a glorious introduction to Soweto Derbies at the fabled FNB Stadium in September 2011 when he helped Chiefs to a 2-0 win over traditional rivals Orlando Pirates. It was Parker's first Soweto Derby. 11 years later, he has not lost his appetite for the match that after many decades, remains the blue riband event of South African football.

For the uninitiated, the nickname 'Die Hond' goes back many years when as a boy he played football in the streets of Boksburg. He excelled and was referred to as the 'top dog'. Over time the Afrikaans speaking boys nicknamed him, 'Die Hond' (The Dog), and the name stuck ever since.

Nowadays Parker, when he is fit to play, is the captain of Chiefs, and as the 'top dog' he is not shy to bark orders on the field. A few months ago he famously snarled a mouthful of expletives at teammate Samir Nurković when he objected to the latter's move at a set-piece, much to the shock of television viewers.

Last week, Parker was sidelined by injury and watched the Baroka match from the stands. He is back to full fitness and will be in the matchday squad. If he makes it onto the field of play, it would be his 30th Soweto Derby overall (league and cup) and his 21st in league matches.

“Yes, I am happy to be back and always ready to play in these types of games. We live for these games – you want to be involved in this game because it is one of the biggest derbies on the continent. It is always an honour to play in this match.

“I feel good and refreshed and can’t wait to be on the field again, given the