YUSUF Maart would make a fantastic poker player.
The Kaizer Chiefs captain’s ability to keep a straight face would get Raymond Rahme’s approval. And then there’s his monotonous tone.
Even on a subject that would have seen many a player’s eyes lit up, Maart remained his usual calm self
The Soweto derby is one of the matches the Capetonian will always be remembered for, Maart having scored that fantastic goal from the halfway mark.
But when quizzed about today’s Premiership clash with Orlando Pirates (3pm kick-off), the 29-year-old could well have been watching paint dry.
There was no rise in decibel. No twinkle in his eye. The tone of his voice remained unchanged.
“It’s a big game for the country, and we are excited and happy,” he said.
The deaf would have accused the sign language interpreter of fibbing.
“We want to go out there and enjoy the game. Everyone has the same feeling, and they want to do well.”
That Chiefs will be out to shine at a packed FNB Stadium today cannot be denied, Amakhosi keen to get even for the first-round last-minute defeat they suffered thanks to that panenka by Tito Maswanganyi.
Maart and his teammates are also eager to get the maximum points as they seek to avoid missing out on the top eight for a second successive season.
Chiefs’ recent form has not been the kind to send their faithful shouting ‘we are going to win’ at the rooftops, even if their traditional rivals have not set the scene on fire themselves.
That much Maart acknowledges.
“In the past few games, we were not playing well, games didn’t go our way. But that’s football.
“We are going through a stage when things are a bit difficult for us, but it is part of the game.
“We look at the positives, and in this game (the match against Pirates), we need to go as a team. Everyone’s mindset must be on the same page and be mentally strong.
“We have two games on the back of each other, but the mood and everything is positive, and everyone is excited,” the drawl made a mockery of that last word.
This match, though, the country’s biggest tie, is not like any other, and Maart is banking on its uniqueness to help Chiefs turn things around.
“The momentum of this game (Soweto derby) is different because the environment is different. The coach knows how he wants to play and how he wants his game plan to work.
“So, I think that will affect the energy of the game, how the game will be played.
“For us to finish (the season) strongly, we need to start with this game and then to end it with the last game of the season.”
Maart has endured somewhat of a love-hate relationship with Amakhosi fans, but he says he remains steadfast in his ways, and would never allow outside views on him and his game to affect him negatively.
“My mood and mind will always be the same and be positive. I think there are a lot of challenges that players go through on the field, and you don’t know what their problems are or how they are dealing with them.
“You can judge me and do what you want, but I will always remain positive and strong.”
Amakhosi fans will be expecting him to produce a positive and strong performance against the bitter arch-rivals this weekend and the next, so that he helps Chiefs to what would be a successful season.
There was no telling, though, what Maart was thinking in that regard, his face sure to have probably even confused South Africa’s most successful poker player.
