By Paul Jones
Mark Harris and Ben Cabango were team mates for the Wales U21 team, but today their friendship will be put on hold in the south Wales derby.
For Swansea-born Harris it will be his first taste of the biggest game in Welsh football, while Cardiff-born Cabango will be getting his second outing.
The odd thing is that they won’t be playing for the city of their birth, but for their biggest rivals.
Swansea defender Cabango, 20, launched his football career at Maindy Corries in the heart of the Welsh capital, yet never featured on his home town club’s radar. He went into the Newport County academy before transferring to Swansea.
Harris, 21, was born in Swansea, but has been at Cardiff City since he was seven and recently made his first Championship start in the win over Luton Town.
That kick-started a four-match winning streak that has earned him rave reviews for his speed and his awareness.
The four wins in 10 days helped to save City boss Neil Harris from the sack and have set up a mouthwatering clash at Cardiff City Stadium with only four points separating the two arch-rivals. Swansea are fourth and Cardiff are five places behind them.
“Mark has made a real difference. He is electric, willing to run, looking to learn and he carries a threat,” said long-standing Bluebirds midfielder Joe Ralls.
“He’s young, but I think he can be an important for us in the future. He’s from Swansea originally, and a lot of his friends are still there, so it is going to be a big day for them and him.”
Cabango will be one of the Swansea back three assigned to nullify the threat of Harris and one of his latest team mates, Wales striker Kieffer Moore.
While Harris is just breaking through into the Cardiff starting line-up, Cabango has already graduated into Ryan Giggs’ senior Wales side.
The Swansea defence is statistically the meanest in the Championship, with Cabango a central character in that success, while Harris has joined a forward line in blue that has notched 10 goals in four games.
“Mark’s positive energy infiltrated the team performance against Luton. He ran, he ran and he ran some more,” said Neil Harris about his rising young star.
Cardiff City 0 Swansea City 2, April 16th 1990. Some top quality #limbs https://t.co/d7tj5JIamU
— Elis James (@elisjames) December 12, 2020
“He played with his brain as well, making runs at the right time. That rubbed off on the team.”
It is going to be a derby with a difference for two former team mates who will be looking to put one over on the city of their birth.
