Kaizer Chiefs still hold the upper hand over Mamelodi Sundowns in the head-to-head record between the two teams but that has been rapidly hauled in over recent years as the Brazilians have dominated the domestic scene.
Saturday’s highly anticipated Betway Premiership clash at Soccer City will be the 109th meeting between the two clubs, with Chiefs ahead 41-35 in the win count of past results with a further 32 draws. Chiefs also lead the goal count 124-117.
But Sundowns go into the match having not lost in the last nine meetings between the two sides and having, only months ago, handed Chiefs a record home defeat as they thumped them 5-1 at Soccer City in April on their way to a seventh successive Premiership title.
In those nine games, Sundowns have outscored Chiefs 20 goals to seven, emphasising their dominance.
They have also gone past Chiefs’ record of 12 league titles since the creation of the National Professional Soccer League in 1971, and are now on 17 in total, having won the last seven in a row.
Chiefs last won against Sundowns in April 2021 in a season when their side was hampered by a Fifa transfer ban and they were struggling in the league under coach Gavin Hunt but snatched a come-from-behind 2-1 win at Loftus Versfeld.
It was the only league game that Sundowns lost that season as they finished 13 points clear of second-placed AmaZulu in the final standings, while Chiefs only just snuck into eighth place by dislodging TS Galaxy on the last day of the campaign.
Last season, while Sundowns won the league by a record 23 points from runners-up Orlando Pirates, Chiefs recorded their worst finish, down in 10th place.
But they have since hired Belgian-Tunisian Nasreddine Nabi as new coach and he has started his tenure with away wins over Marumo Gallants and AmaZulu.
Also new in the Chiefs line-up is Gaston Sirino, who moved across from Sundowns after winning a league title in every one of the seven seasons he was with the Brazilians. He scored 45 goals in 150 league and cup starts for them and is already making positive waves at his new club with a stunning long-range goal against AmaZulu in Durban on Wednesday.
Sirino will be relishing the match-up with his old teammates, notably the Latin contingent of Lucas Ribeiro and Marcelo Allende, who are expected to start for the champions.
There is doubt, however, about Peter Shalulile playing, as he looks to be in stiff competition for a place in the team with new signing Iqraam Rayners. The Namibian international, with over a century of goals in South African football in six and a half seasons, holds the joint record for scoring the most goals in clashes between Chiefs and Sundowns.
He has scored seven for ‘Downs against AmaKhosi, matching the feat of striker Lovemore Chafunya in the mid-80s and early 90s. Shalulile also scored a goal for his previous club Highlands Park against Chiefs.
Chiefs have enjoyed a sellout crowd for their last two fixtures in Bloemfontein and Durban and if they have the same again on Saturday, the iconic venue will be filled for the first time by a soccer match that is not a World Cup tie or a Soweto derby.