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JOHANNESBURG. — The last instalment of the DStv Premiership fixtures before the league takes a break for this year’s Fifa World Cup will be headlined by one of the most enterprising fixtures in African football – the Soweto Derby.
Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs clash today, in front of an anticipated capacity crowd at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. It will be the first derby played in front of a full crowd since the onset of Covid-19 in 2020. This has injected the fixture with additional allure and fervour, from both the players’ and spectators’ perspective.
Four of those tussles took place in the Premiership and two in the MTN8 semifinals. Chiefs lost the two-legged MTN8 semi, but won three of the four league games. With that they extended their overall head-to-head wins to 72 versus Pirates’ 44 over the decades.
Consistently inconsistent
This season, both sides have been plagued by inconsistency. In fact, throughout the past few seasons both Soweto giants have been guilty of this vice.
For Pirates, it led to a six-year trophy drought, which they eventually snapped when they won the MTN8 in 2020.
For Amakhosi, their misery continues. The Naturena-based side is now in its seventh year without a major trophy.
That run is set to continue for at least another few months, as they were recently ousted from 2022 MTN8 last four by AmaZulu.
In contrast, the Buccaneers secured their second semi spot in three seasons in the top eight competition by thrashing Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 in their semifinal encounter.
On the league table the rivals are separated by a single point after 12 games played apiece, with Pirates on 19 points and Chiefs on 18. Log leaders Sundowns are on 25 despite having played a game less than the duo.
As such, each knows how important maximum points will be in this historic encounter, in addition to the bragging rights.
The Buccaneers will be buoyed by that emphatic result over Masandawana, which came on the back of a 2-0 triumph versus Golden Arrows. Against their bitter rivals, the Sea Robbers will be keen to ride this wave and best their neighbours. — Daily Maverick
Online Reporter