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PREVIEW: Who will win the Soweto Derby?

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates go head-to-head in the Soweto Derby

Vincent Pule of Pirates
Image copyright - Steve Haag Sports

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates go head-to-head in the Soweto Derby at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

It has been quite the fall from grace from the once-dominant Soweto giants. Chiefs have not won any major silverware since 2015. Meanwhile, Pirates have not put their hands on the league trophy since 2012, however they did scoop the MTN8 title last season.

Chiefs lost 1-0 to Stellenbosch FC in their last encounter in midweek, before which they had a mini resurgence with successive wins over Chippa United and SuperSport United.

Meanwhile, Pirates broke a four-match winless run with a 2-1 victory over Sekhukhune United last time out in which they came from behind to win courtesy of late strikes from Linda Mntambo and Kabelo Dlamini.

With the victory, the Buccaneers leapfrogged Chiefs into sixth position and are leading their seventh-placed arch-enemies by two points.

The Amakhosi have suffered a blow ahead of the derby after Sfiso Hlanti tore his achilles during training which could likely rule him out of action for the rest of the season.

Pirates have more than their fair share of injuries, with Thembinkosi Lorch, Vincent Pule, Innocent Maela, Zakhele Lepasa, Happy Jele and Olisa Ndah all sidelined.

Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter, who will take charge of his 100th game in charge of the Glamour Boys over three stints, says the derby could lose its prestige if the two Soweto giants don’t improve and close the gap on Mamelodi Sundowns.

“Chiefs and Pirates have had their issues in recent years. You can look at it and say that Rangers and Celtic [the Old Firm rivalry in Scotland] is a top game, Barcelona and Madrid [the Spanish El Clasico] is a top game. All the derbies are top games but Tottenham and Arsenal [the London derby] has threatened to be a ruin [because, like Chiefs and Pirates, they’ve been struggling for trophies],” said Baxter.

“I think the Soweto derby can manage in this sort of situation for a while but not forever because then people will say it’s not the derby, actually. Pirates against Sundowns or Chiefs against Sundowns is the big one, even though traditionally it’s not. So we [Chiefs and Pirates] must address this by getting better.”

Baxter has an impressive record against Pirates, winning seven of 15 games, while losing just one with the other seven ending in draws.

When the sides met last season, Pirates claimed a 2-1 victory in the opening fixture with goals from Thembinkosi Lorch and Siphesihle Ndlovu, while Chiefs won the return fixture 1-0 thanks to Samir Nurkovic’s solitary strike.

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