The Soweto derby returns this Saturday for the latest instalment in South Africa’s biggest rivalry, a fixture steeped in history and with no shortage of drama down the years.
We take a look at the clash between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in numbers.
1 – Percy ‘Chippa’ Moloi scored the first ever Soweto Derby goal as Pirates won 6-4 on January 24, 1970 in the third-place playoff for the Rogue Beer Cup. It was the first meeting between the sides. Chiefs’ Petros ‘Ten-Ten’ Nzimande then scored the first own goal to put Pirates 2-0 up, but the AmaKhosi’s first strike against their new rivals fittingly came from star man Pule ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe.
1 – The last seven meetings between these sides have been won by a single goal margin, showing how tight the clashes have been. Chiefs have won five of those to go with two Pirates successes.
1 – This will be a first Soweto Derby in charge for Chiefs coach Cavin Johnson. He has three wins in 18 career meetings with Pirates for his various past clubs.
1 – This is the first time in recorded history that both Chiefs and Pirates start Soweto Derby week in the bottom half of the table. Both could move out with midweek wins though.
2 – Eric Tinkler (Pirates) and Arthur Zwane (Chiefs) are the only South African coaches to have collected two Derby wins in the PSL era. Former Chiefs tactician, the Scot Stuart Baxter, leads the way with five since the 1996/97 season.
3 – There have only been three Soweto Derby hattricks over the years, a surprisingly low figure considering the game was often a high-scoring affair in the 1970s especially. Ebison Mugoyo got the first in a 5-1 win for Chiefs, while Henry Khumalo managed the second as Pirates claimed a 3-1 success. The last was by Jerry Sikhosana for Pirates all the way back in 1996.
4 – Four goals is the biggest winning margin in a derby game, twice achieved by Chiefs (7-3 in 1972 and 5-1 in 1975) and once by Pirates (5-1 in 1990).
4 – Alfred Jacobs and Fani Madida hold the distinction of having scored in four successive derbies. Jacobs’ quartet came in 1970 and 1971, and Madida in 1991 and 1992. Chiefs goalkeeper Joseph ‘Banks’ Setlhodi netted penalties in three successive derbies in 1972, Ntsoelengoe scored in three games in a row in 1975 and was matched by Jerry Sikhosana (1996-97) and Dennis Lota (1999-00).
4 – Chiefs’ Setlhodi slotted home four penalties in derbies in both 1971 and 1972, and is the only goalkeeper to score in clashes between the two sides.
6 – The number of players to have scored for both sides in a Soweto Derby – Gabriel Khoza, Blessing Mgidi, Jerry Sadike, Ace Khuse, Mark Maponyane and Marc Bachelor.
8 – The record for the greatest number of Soweto Derby matches in a single season was set in 1975, when the sides met eight times in various competitions. This will be their third clash in this campaign.
10 – The last 10 fixtures between Pirates and Chiefs have seen six wins for the latter to go with four for The Buccaneers. There was a time when the draw was the most dominant Derby result, but these days we always seem to get a result.
10 – The most goals scored in a Soweto derby game, which has occurred twice, including in the very first meeting. Pirates claimed a 6-4 victory in January 1970, while Chiefs won 7-3 in February 1972.
19 – The leading scorer in Soweto derby matches is former Chiefs star Pule ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe, who netted 19 goals. It is a record that is unlikely to ever be beaten. The leading scorer for Pirates is Jomo Sono with nine goals.
19 – The fastest goal in Soweto derby history was scored by Chiefs’ forward Mabhuti Khenyeza when he netted after 19 seconds in a 2-2 draw in a fixture played in Durban in 2007.
31 – Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Siphiwe Tshabalala holds the record for most Soweto Derby appearances. He made his first appearance in November 2007 but was replaced at halftime!
45 – Pirates have secured 45 wins against Chiefs over the years, their last in May this year when they claimed a 2-1 extra-time victory in the Nedbank Cup semifinals.
60 – Yusuf Maart’s winner for Chiefs in the first Derby meeting last season came from 60 yards, one of the best goals in the history of the fixture. Records from the early days are not that detailed, but it is hard to think of a Derby goal scored from a longer distance.
74 – Chiefs have managed 74 wins over Pirates down the years, including in five meetings in a row before their Nedbank Cup loss in May.
73 – The number of Derby matches staged at FNB Stadium. The Orlando Stadium was the original home of the fixture and saw 63 played there down the years. In all, there have been 15 different venues down the years!
178 – The number of clashes between the two sides in competitive fixtures since their first in January 1970.
192 – The number of goals Pirates have managed against the bitter rivals.
228 – The number of goals Chiefs have scored in Soweto Derby matches.