Scoring on both sides of the derby divide

When Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates meet at FNB Stadium on Saturday, the Amakhosi midfielder Yusuf Maart will be the only player involved in the DStv Premiership tussle who has had a foot in both camps.

The 28-year-old made two brief substitute appearances for Pirates, first for four minutes at the end of their Nedbank Cup win over amateurs EC Bees in Mdantsane in March 2017 and then again in the last league game of the 2016-17 season as they lost 2-1 at Lamontville Golden Arrows.

He was brought on for the final three minutes of the match by then coach Kjell Jonevret as a replacement for Issa Sarr.

Maart’s career then took a circuitous path to the National First Division with Cape Umoya United and then with Sekhukhune United before Chiefs came to buy him.

He paid back part of his transfer fee with a stunning long-range goal that won the derby in October 2022. He also scored for Chiefs against Pirates in last season’s Nedbank Cup semifinal.

Maart is among a long list of players who have straddled both sides of the Soweto giants’ fence and have derby goals to their name. Thabang Lebese, Lehlohonolo Majoro, Joseph Molongoane, Siphlehle Mthembu, Pollen Ndlanya, Pio Nogueira, Siyabonga Nomvete and Arthur Zwane (Chiefs) and Alfred Chamane, Lesley Manyathela, Collins Mbesuma and Sibusiso Zuma (Pirates) also netted in the derbies

However, there is unique band of only six players who have scored in the derby for both clubs.

GABRIEL KHOZA: ‘Tikkie’ Khoza netted for Pirates in 1971 Life Challenge Cup final and then after moving to Chiefs three years later, got a goal at the start of the 1975 season as Chiefs hammered Pirates 3-0 in the first leg of the Champion of Champions final at Umlazi.

BLESSING MGIDI: He scored the first of seven derby goals in the colours of Pirates in early 1972 in the first leg of the Champion of Champions final, which ended in a 3-3 draw. He managed five more derby goals for the Buccaneers up to 1975 but made a surprise switch just after the season started and in May was playing for Chiefs, snapping up the rebound after Banks Setlhodi’s penalty hit the crossbar. Mgidi is the only player to ever scored for both Chiefs and Pirates in a single year.

JERRY SADIKE: Originally from Orlando, he got a double for Chiefs in 1974 in a 3-0 league win over Pirates and another goal a year later in the BP Top 16 competition. In 1997, he scored for Bucs against Chiefs in the Champions of Champions final and against when the two sides met in the 1981 Mainstay Cup final. In 1983, he got a third derby goal for Pirates against Chiefs, making for a total of six – three for either side.

DONALD KHUSE: In the last derby of the old NPSL, Khuse set up the first goal for Nick Seshweni and scored the second himself as Pirates won 2-0 at Ellis Park in late 1984. He soon switched sides and scored for Chiefs against Bucs in 1989 and again in 1991.

MARKS MAPONYANE: He scored a total of 10 derby goals for Chiefs against Pirates between 1982 and 1989 and is the fourth highest all-time scorer for Chiefs in derby matches but left the club after a row over a pay rise to join Dynamos in 1991. In 1993 he controversially signed for Pirates and a year later he got a derby goal for Bucs.

MARC BATCHELOR: A spectacular diving header from the blond-haired forward was the first goal in the 2-0 win for Pirates over Chiefs in October 1994. He scored for Chiefs in the 1998 Rothmans Cup semifinal between the two sides.