Chiefs-Pirates: Key team news on eve of Soweto derby

This afternoon, Chiefs and Pirates fans will undoubtedly have their nerves tested once again during what is expected to be a tense Nedbank Cup semi-final, with the winner of this Soweto derby likely to be favourites for the title decider.

Kick-off on Saturday is at 15:00.

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Both sides could be missing key players on Saturday, with each camp having had to do without a couple of its stars over the past few weeks.

Bucs captain Innocent Maela sat out his side’s last two games, while midfielder Thembinkosi Lorch has been recovering from a knock picked up in the lead up to the home victory against Cape Town City two weeks ago.

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The visitors will however be boosted by the return of midfield pair Miguel Timm and Kabelo Dlamini, who have each served a brief suspension and will be available for selection.

Chiefs are set to be without attacking midfielder Keagan Dolly, who limped off in the recent defeat to Sekhukhune, while defender Edmilson Dove is yet to feature since the same fixture.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Brandon Peterson is likely to slot back into the Amakhosi starting XI after missing the game against Swallows due to a one-match ban.

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CHECK OUT SOME KEY CHIEFS-PIRATES STATS AND FACTS BELOW:

• Chiefs and Pirates have a long history stretching back to 1970, and their rivalry in the Nedbank Cup goes back to the 1971 season, which was the first year that there was a professional league in South Africa. Having defeated Pirates home and away in the league that season, Chiefs were targeting a third win over them when they met in the Life Challenge Cup Final on 11 December 1971.
• Ace Ntsoelengoe scored for Chiefs from the penalty spot and Amakhosi also benefited from an own goal, as the game ended 2-2. In the replay a week later, Chiefs won 2-1, with goals from Petrus ‘Ten Ten’ Nzimande and Michael ‘Bizzah’ Dlamini, to lift the first of 13 Nedbank Cup titles. 
• Overall, Chiefs and Pirates have met a total of 19 times in this competition. Chiefs have nine victories, eight of which have come in open play, with a single penalty shoot-out victory in the 2006 final in Durban. Pirates have managed to win five times, with four more ending in draws.
• In the PSL era, this game is their fifth clash in the Nedbank Cup, the first coming in a 1996-97 Semi-final clash, won 4-1 by Pirates. The following season, Pirates eliminated Chiefs in the round of 16, winning 1-0. While Chiefs did turn the tide with victory in the 2005-06 Absa Cup Final, Pirates won the most recent meeting between the teams, 2-0, in the 2015-16 round of 32.
• Current Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane was in the Chiefs team that defeated Pirates on penalties in a memorable Cup Final in May 2006 in Durban. Pirates dominated the game early on but good rear guard action from Chiefs saw them hold their nerve and turn the tables to defeat Pirates in the shoot-out.
• The teams have met multiple times in Nedbank Cup semifinals over the years, with Chiefs leading the head-to-head count three-to-one. The first was a five-goal thriller in 1972, in which Chiefs prevailed 3-2. Dlamini, the hero from the 1971 Life Challenge Cup Final, got in on the act again, this time scoring a brace.
• In 1987, a season in which Chiefs won four trophies, they defeated Pirates 2-1 in a replayed semifinal after the first game ended 1-1. It was another victory for Chiefs in the 1993 last four clash, but Pirates recorded a 4-1 win the most recent time the teams met, in a Nedbank Cup semifinal in 1997.
• Amakhosi, having have already secured a league double over Pirates by winning back-to-back league games 1-0 home and away this season, are looking for a third triumph over Pirates for the season, a feat achieved twice previously since 1996-97 – first, in 2005-06, back-to-back league wins were followed by victory in the Absa Cup Final, and then in 2019-20, a win over Pirates in the Telkom Knockout Cup Quarterfinals preceded a league double for Chiefs.

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THE FIXTURES TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS WEEKEND:

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