Southampton, England – Get ready na, as the long-awaited South Coast derby don finally land again! E be like say this one no go sweet small, because both Southampton and Portsmouth don dey chop beef for over 13 years. Na dem two bitter rivals dey set to clash for Championship for St Mary's on Sunday, and the vibes don dey hot already!
Talk say e don pass 2,000 days since dem gree play una last derby, everybody dey expect drama as the crowd go gather full ground. St Mary’s no go just dey shine like that oh, this na football stadium, we dey talk about serious rivalry wey don dey cook since ages. Wey dem go cram 40th encounter on Sunday; dis one dey set to make history.
But make we gist small about how di two teams don dey waka since 2012 wey dem last meet for league. Southampton don dey flex muscles for Premier League, chop European football and all dat, while Pompey dey go up and down like say dem dey play yo-yo with League Two. Dem don face hardship, kom back up – now dem dey strong as dem pick four points from their first three matches.
Colin Farmery, wey sit down as dem chair for Pompey History Society, drop correct gist about how rivalry wey no just dey about football. E say na serious mythology don form around di two clubs. Na lagos we go talk about why dem dey call each other name! Him say e no be all dos stories wey dem dey tell for di stands na true, most na just plenty noise.
But we no fit deny sey rivalry dey strong; Southampton dey always finish higher for the league, and na im dey wine di buoy for Portsmouth fans for many years. E don make dem vex to high heaven, and e sure say when both teams step on di pitch na who get pride to prove.
As dem dey prepare for dis highly anticipated clash, Southampton fans dey hope say dem go take first win dis season. Since dem return to Championship, na only Wrexham dem fit beat, and dem currently dey sit for 13th position. But bad belle no fit stop dem – if dem fit hit dem form wey help dem before, na dem go shine!
Meanwhile, Portsmouth dey represent better performance so far; dem dey sit comfortably for 8th position. Head coach John Mousinho don gather di boys, and dem dey feel pumped to spoil di party for Southampton fans. Dem don beat teams like Preston and Oxford, so no be small play dis. All dis know-how dey ginger dem as dem plan to graze their rivals again.
Di tension don dey build, and security agencies dey prepare well for any wahala. Police come out talk sey dem no wan any violence, as dem don put plenty plans in place – including Goliath number of officers and even drone surveillance to watch di crowd! Na dark market we dey talk oh!
So, ready or not, dis match fit open plenty discussion around town. Fans dey pin hope on striker Cameron Archer from Southampton to score, wey don show say him dey ready to shine too. If him fit help dem score goals, na him go join di golden boot race.
This match na not just three points, e dey mean a lot more to di communities. As dem dey eye each other, expect plenty action, plenty gusto, and even more storytelling after the final whistle blow! So, grab your popcorn and prepare for football gists as di rivalry takes center stage again.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor@nnn.ng
