Football fans in South Africa and Africa are set to feast on yet another edition of the high stakes Soweto Derby as Kaizer Chiefs host Orlando Pirates at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.
In what will be the 182nd edition of the Soweto Derby, South Africa’s biggest match, pitting the country’s most successful and popular teams, Chiefs are the home team this time and besides the three points, pride is also at stake.
Since the first derby in January 1970, the match has witnessed lots of thrills and spills and much is expected on Saturday even if the two teams have contrasting fortunes heading into the match.
Chiefs are stuck in the mid table, having slipped to ninth place and in danger of ending the weekend in 10th or 11th position, while Pirates still have hopes of winning the PSL title although anything other than a win will all but end their ambitions.
Form Guide
It makes the Soweto Derby more important for the two teams who are also coming from defeats.
For home team Chiefs, a win is desperately needed given they have gone six league games without victory, losing three and drawing as many over that period, collecting just three from a possible 18 points.
Chiefs last tasted a PSL win on March 4, when they beat Magesi FC 1-0, and since then, it has been draws against Cape Town City, TS Galaxy and Chippa United as well as defeats to Richards Bay, Golden Arrows and Marumo Gallants, which leaves them ninth on the table with 30 points from 25 games, having won just eight and lost 11.
In fact, Chiefs have won just two of their last eight games in all competitions, both in the Nedbank Cup, which earned them a place in the final.
Meanwhile, Pirates had enjoyed a nine-match winless run, that included six wins, before back-to-back losses, having been beaten 3-2 by Egyptian club Pyramids in the CAF Champions League semi-final second leg last Friday, before a 1-0 loss to Sekhukhune United in the PSL on Wednesday.
That knocked them out of the Champions League and left them clutching at the straws in the league with 46 points from 21 matches, 12 behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who have played two games more.
Head-to-Head
However, Pirates can count on their good run against Chiefs as they will be looking for a fifth straight victory over Amakhosi.
Pirates won the corresponding fixture 1-0 on February 1, when Patrick Maswanganyi’s last-minute Panenka secured all three points, with Chiefs still waiting for a first win since February 25, 2023, when they also won 1-0.
Overall, Chiefs still have the edge in the Soweto Derby, having managed 74 victories to Pirates’ 48, while 54 games have been drawn and five abandoned. Chiefs have also scored the most Soweto Derby goals, managing 230 to Pirates’ 196.
Soweto Derby Team News
Kaizer Chiefs will be without forward Wandile Duba, who is suspended after accumulating four yellow cards, a blow for coach Nasreddine Nabi, as the young forward is his team’s top scorer with six goals.
It leaves Ranga Chivaviro and January signing Tashreeq Morris as the strikers available to Nabi.
Meanwhile, Pirates will also miss captain and central defender Nkosinathi Sibisi, who was sent off in their loss to Sekhukhune on Wednesday, robbing coach Jose Riveiro experience at the back and he will likely call on Tapelo Xoki to partner youngster Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
Nabi vs Riveiro in the Soweto Derby
It will be the second Soweto derby for Chiefs coach Nabi, who lost the first one 1-0, while Pirates’ Riveiro will be taking charge of his eighth, and his second last before he departs the club, having won five of the last seven.
What have the coaches said?
Nasreddine Nabi
“The first Derby we played was a good, entertaining game which was decided by a small detail in the last minute. We believe we deserved better in that game,” Nabi told the Chiefs website.
“We are expecting a very tough Derby again on Saturday, although we know more about how to approach the Derby than we did in the first one. There are possibilities open for both teams to win.”
Jose Riveiro
“We are looking for victory. That’s important for us and the fans. We need to get back on track. We understand the responsibility [in the Soweto derby], we are a winning team. This is my last derby at FNB. It’s a special place, not only for me but for the players as well,” Riveiro told the club’s media team.
Time & where to watch Soweto Derby
The Soweto Derby will take place at the FNB Stadium for the 78th time and will kick off at 15:00 with a live broadcast on SuperSport TV and SABC1.
Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates predicted line-ups
Kaizer Chiefs predicted XI: Bvuma, Frosler, Msimango, Inacio, Cross, Maart, Cele, Sirino, Shabalala, Lilepo, Morris
Orlando Pirates predicted XI: Chaine, Van Rooyen, Xoki, Mbokazi, Hotto, Makhaula, Mbatha, Maswanganyi, Mofokeng, Nkota, Mabasa
