Soweto Derby sold out: Capacity crowd expected on Saturday

The tickets for upcoming Soweto Derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium have been sold out.

The two giants of South African soccer clash for the second time in as many weeks after doing battle at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, in the Telkom Knockout quarterfinals over the weekend.

Soweto derby tickets sold out

They meet this coming Saturday again, in more familiar turf, with a 90 000-strong crowd set to cheer the country’s most supported teams in a league encounter.

However, those who have not yet gotten their hands on tickets will have to follow the match on TV, after Chiefs confirmed that the tickets for the eagerly-awaited clash have been sold out.

According to the club, billed as hosts for this particular clash, the last ticket was sold on Monday afternoon.

This means that the two sides will be greeted by almost twice as big a crowd as that which witnessed Amakhosi ran out victors to secure a Telkom Knockout semifinal spot in Durban.

Around 50 000 people were treated to a thrilling encounter at Moses Mabhida Stadium, which had to be decided via penalty shootout after 120 minutes ended with both sides deadlocked at 2-2.

SA’s most-watched fixture set for Round 2

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates now shift their attention to the league, where they both have midweek fixtures to navigate before renewing their fierce rivalry.

The Buccaneers are first in action, hosting Maritzburg United at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Glamour Boys, on the other hand, travel to Port Elizabeth, where they are set to meet Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday night.

The from Naturena will be seeking toa consolidate their spot at the top of the league heading into the Soweto Derby, where they will be in pursuit of their first league win over Pirates since December 2014.

With their return to Soweto more than likely to draw more eyeballs than their voyage to the Windy City, Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp has iterated that the team’s focus, for the time being, is firmly fixed on their clash with the Chilli Boys.

“The game against Chippa is massive for us. That is what matters now, the Saturday match is water under the bridge. We are just glad we are still in the competition. Now we are looking forward to Wednesday,” he told the Kaizer Chiefs website.

Ernst Middendorp

Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs’ midweek fixtures both kick off at 19:30 on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, while the Soweto Derby kicks off at 15:30.