Chiefs, Pirates set for round two

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will go to war for the second weekend in a row when they meet in an Absa Premiership clash at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Kick-off is at 3"30pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).

The Soweto derby rivals crossed swords last Saturday in a Telkom Knockout quarterfinal which ended 2-2 after extra time, before the Amakhosi won on penalties.

Chiefs come into this clash not only with the psychological advantage of having put their arch rivals out of the cup a week prior, but also with incredible momentum on their side: coach Ernst Middendorp made a raft of changes for their midweek clash away to Chippa United, but the Amakhosi still won 2-0 (thanks to a second-half brace from Dumisani Zuma) to rack up a fifth straight league win and extend their lead at the top of the log to seven points.

However, Middendorp insists his focus is only on this clash against Pirates, not on the bigger overall picture of the title race.

"Now it's a very, very crucial moment to find the right combination for the weekend. I know Wits have a lot of games in hand, even other teams that are behind us have games in hand, so at this moment I don't use too much mathematics," explained the German. "Someone said don't celebrate too much at this stage of the season.”

Pirates, on the back of last weekend's TKO exit, had further frustration in midweek when they were held 0-0 at home by Maritzburg United. Even worse than the result was the sending off of captain Happy Jele, who is now suspended for the match against Chiefs.

Ntsikelelo Nyauza is likely to step into Jele's shoes as both skipper and the leader of the defence, and coach Rhulani Mokwena has backed the player to shine in the derby.

"I want to express a special word to him because at the beginning of the season he was not playing," Mokwena said of Nyauza.

"He has done well to win his place in the team. I call him the beast. He is colossal. He wins his aerial duels and he is not afraid to pick up players on his own. He has an unbelievable presence in the changing room and he's a leader."

In head-to-head stats, Chiefs and Pirates have met in 67 league matches since 1985. The Amakhosi have claimed 24 wins compared to 15 for the Buccaneers, while no less than 28 encounters have ended in draws.

The team in gold and black have won 13 of their 32 home matches in the rivalry, suffering six defeats in the process.

Pirates took four points off Chiefs in the teams' league matches last season, winning 2-1 in the 'away' game at FNB Stadium in October 2018, while their 'home' game at the same venue in February 2019 ended in a 1-1 draw.

The Buccaneers are unbeaten in the last nine league matches against their Soweto derby rivals.

STAR PLAYERS TO WATCH

Kaizer Chiefs

Dumisani Zuma – A two-goal performance in midweek means Dumisani Zuma has brought himself right into contention for a starting berth in the derby. Even if he doesn't crack the initial XI, the speedy attacker could prove a powerful force as an impact substitute.

Daniel Akpeyi – Rested in midweek in order to protect him for the derby, the Nigerian goalkeeper will look to put in another fine showing and marshal his defence as Chiefs look to break their long winless streak in league games against Pirates.

Orlando Pirates

Ntsikelelo Nyauza – With Happy Jele suspended, Nyauza will likely partner Alfred Ndengane in central defence. They will be faced with the tough task of trying to hold at bay the likes of Leonardo Castro, Khama Billiat, Samir Nurkovic and Dumisani Zuma.

Frank Mhango – Whether as a starter or a substitute, Frank Mhango brings sharpness to Pirates' attack that they will need in order to try and halt the momentum built up by Chiefs. The Malawian also netted Bucs' second goal in the TKO derby last weekend.