The original Soweto Derby will be staged in the DStv Premiership on Tuesday as Orlando Pirates host old foes Moroka Swallows at the Orlando Stadium in a fixture with a rich history.
It was the first big showdown in South African football before the arrival on the scene of Kaizer Chiefs in 1970, and would draw huge crowds as the Birds and Buccaneers did battle.
Pirates were founded in 1937 and Swallows 10 years later, and while it is hard to pin down a date for a first ever meeting between these sides it would be safe to assume they have been competing for the best part of 70 years.
Over the decades there have been many players who have forged a reputation in this fixture, becoming club heroes with goals and tales of great performances.
Each new meeting gives another opportunity for that and the chance for a new name to be added to the list of original Soweto Derby heroes.
We select three players from each side who could make their mark this time round.
ORLANDO PIRATES
Patrick Maswanganyi
Maswanganyi was a surprise signing by Pirates from SuperSport United at the start of the season but has been excellent in the opening months of the campaign. He has goals and assists in him and will want to leave his mark on his first derby, having flown somewhat under the radar in his career to date. It was only last season that the 25-year-old rose to prominence with Matsatsantsa and he will be keen to make up for lost time. He has three goals in all competitions this term having not managed a single one for SuperSport in the last campaign. But watch for the assists too, he is an intelligent footballer with an eye for the pass.
Evidence Makgopa
The 23-year-old has seen the rebirth of his career this season after a desperately poor 2022/23 that was characterised by injury and loss of form. He has been re-established as the No 1 forward at the club and recently celebrated a winner in the ‘other’ Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs, as well as winning his place back in the Bafana Bafana set-up. He can be raw but has all the attributes to be a fine striker and you do get the feeling the best is yet to come from him. He has three goals in eight starts so far this season.
Monnapule Saleng
It is fair to say he has had a dip in form this campaign, but Saleng remains a quality performer and this battle against his former side Swallows is the perfect opportunity for him to come good. The winger was sensational last season after returning to Pirates following a loan spell with the Birds. He set the bar so high that matching it was always going to be tough. But the 25-year-old is a match-winner and if given the chance, would like nothing better than to prove his worth to The Ghost.
MOROKA SWALLOWS
Gabadinho Mhango
With leading scorer Tshegofatso Mabasa unlikely to feature against his parent club, the expectation will be that Mhango leads the line and gets the goals for the Birds. Mabasa has scored six of Swallows’ 11 league goals this term, more than half, but is only on loan at the Dobsonville Stadium. Mhango, himself a former Pirates striker, has managed a single league goal this season, but has proven time and again that he is a man for the big occasion, and he will be absolutely desperate to put one over his former employers. He is the kind of player who can create a chance or score a goal out of nothing and on his day is one the best in the DStv Premiership.
Andile Jali
Now a grizzly old campaigner in the South African elite league, Jali has bags of experience and know-how and will look to pull the strings in the midfield. Jali was a generational talent and there have been few better in the PSL era. He might have lost a bit of sharpness and dynamism but will know perfectly well what is needed to guide Swallows to the win. It has now been almost a decade since he last played for Pirates, but is perhaps best remembered in the local game for his spell with the Buccaneers as a key part of their ‘Double Treble’ sides between 2010 and 2012.
Bongani Sam
There are many former Pirates players in the Swallows team and full-back Sam is another. He will feel he never got a fair crack with the Buccaneers and was in and (mostly) out in his three seasons with the club. He does have previous goals against Pirates too. He scored a fine winner against them for Bloemfontein Celtic in the 2019/20 season before making the move to Soweto. He has been a key part of Swallows' good start to the season this term and his ability to bomb up the line could be a real weapon for them.