Chiefs, Pirates renew iconic rivalry

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will renew their iconic rivalry when they meet in a Betway Premiership Soweto derby, set for the FNB Stadium on the afternoon of Saturday, 3 May.

Kick-off is at 3pm CAT.

MATCH BACKGROUND

This match has a triple layer of importance. Firstly, Chiefs desperately need to break a six-game winless run in the league (with their most recent result a disappointing 2-1 loss to Marumo Gallants this past weekend) and get back on track as far as securing a top-eight finish is concerned. The Amakhosi are ninth on the log, trailing eighth-placed Chippa United on goal difference – though they have played a game more.

Secondly, Pirates are trying to chase down league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns and deny them an eighth-straight league championship. However, that ambition suffered a major blow on Wednesday evening when they succumbed 1-0 at home to Sekhukhune United, allowing the Brazilians to open up a 12-point lead at the top (albeit having played two more matches).

Finally, this match not only has the usual immense stakes of bragging rights for the Soweto derby, a rivalry which brings the country to a standstill, but it will also serve as a dress rehearsal for an even bigger fixture, the Nedbank Cup final, which will see these two teams meet at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban the following Saturday, 10 May.

TEAM NEWS

Chiefs have had injury worries in defence for several weeks now, with Rushwin Dortley out for the rest of the season, while Inacio Miguel and Given Msimango have question marks hanging over them. Wandile Duba is unavailable due to a one-match suspension for accumulation of yellow cards.

Pirates will be without defender Nkosinathi Sibisi, after he was sent off in the midweek loss to Sekhukhune United.

WHAT THE TEAMS ARE SAYING

Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has admitted his concern over his team’s trajectory heading into the derby:

“Sometimes you feel like some [players] are giving up. So, what I told them is that there is no time to blame anyone or each other or try to regret what has happened, because the result like [against Marumo] cannot change.

“We have two very important games ahead of us that can still save our season. The [Soweto] derby is coming next weekend, and there is the final of the Nedbank [Cup].

"Everyone needs to assess themselves with honesty and look at how they do in training and during games. And then we need to stick together and go into this coming week of preparation with our heads up.

“It’s unfortunate that the situation is very bad. We have to accept it and there’s no excuse for that, but the most worrying thing for me is not the results; we have lost our way of playing, and that’s even more concerning.”

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro was disappointed by the showing against Sekhukhune United and is looking for an improvement in the derby:

“It was a game before the goal and a game after the goal perhaps. Game under control, I think the game was close for us, it looked [like] the goal was coming and in a corner kick, in a situation that should be under control, they managed to get the lead.

“After that we didn’t react well. We were disorganised with not much ideas. Maybe I’m wrong but the keeper only made one save in the first half, we didn’t manage to have shots on target or not enough. That’s why the 1-0.

“I think the game was coming for us before the goal, but after the goal we didn’t play well enough to deserve the equaliser.”

KEY PLAYERS

Kaizer Chiefs – Makabi Lilepo

The Congolese winger scored a superb goal in Chiefs’ 2-1 loss to Gallants last weekend, cutting in from the left to unleash a stunning strike into the top corner of the net. If he can repeat that kind of feat against Pirates, he will gain instant cult hero status among the Amakhosi faithful.

Orlando Pirates – Patrick Maswanganyi

‘Tito’ scored one of the most iconic goals in recent Soweto derby history when he impishly netted a ‘Panenka’ penalty in these teams’ last meeting in February. The decision to award the spot kick was a controversial one, but Maswanganyi didn't let that bother him and showed astonishing composure.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

In head-to-head stats, Chiefs and Pirates have met in 78 league matches dating back as far as the 1985 season. The Amakhosi have claimed 31 wins compared to 19 for the Buccaneers, while 28 games have been drawn.

Pirates have won the last three league matches between these teams in succession, including a 1-0 triumph when the teams met in early February – decided by a last-gasp penalty from Patrick Maswanganyi.

LAST 10 LEAGUE RESULTS

Season Result Scorers

2019/20 Pirates 0-1 Chiefs Manyama

2020/21 Pirates 2-1 Chiefs Lorch, Ndlovu; Cardoso

2020/21 Chiefs 1-0 Pirates Nurkovic

2021/22 Chiefs 2-1 Pirates Dolly 2 (1 pen); Mntambo

2021/22 Pirates 1-2 Chiefs Peprah; Frosler, Mathoho

2022/23 Pirates 0-1 Chiefs Maart

2022/23 Chiefs 1-0 Pirates Ndah (og)

2023/24 Chiefs 0-1 Pirates Makgopa

2023/24 Pirates 3-2 Chiefs Saleng 2, Lebitso; Du Preez 2

2024/25 Pirates 1-0 Chiefs Maswanganyi (pen)