Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates – our predictions
The Absa Premiership is in full swing this weekend, with the pick of the ties being the Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium today.
Xola Mlambo of Orlando Pirates challenged by Mario Booysen of Kaizer Chiefs (Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix)
Phakaaathi’s Jonty Mark and Khaya Ndubane give their views on who will win the Soweto derby, and why.
Why Chiefs will win (Jonty Mark, Phakaaathi Editor)
For some Kaizer Chiefs fans, it must feel right now that they will never again win a Soweto derby against their great rivals Orlando Pirates.
It has been over four years since Amakhosi last beat the Buccaneers, and Pirates are favourites again as the two sides meet in the Absa Premiership at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
There have been signs, however, that Chiefs are on the up since Ernst Middendorp took up the reins for a second spell in charge of the club, following a horrendous few months under Giovanni Solinas.
Chiefs have picked up fine wins against SuperSport United and AmaZulu and in particular at Bidvest Wits, and while Middendorp might have had a mixed first spell at Chiefs, he has never lost a Soweto derby.
Pirates have beaten Chiefs in both meetings this season, in the league and Telkom Knockout, but Middendorp has tightened up the Amakhosi defence, and I suspect they will not be quite so easy to breach this time around, even with their goalkeeping problems in the absence of Itumeleng Khune.
My feeling is that this will be the day Chiefs will come to the derby party, and I am backing them to run out 2-1 winners this time around, giving Amakhosi fans some much-needed bragging rights.
Prediction: Kaizer Chiefs 2 Orlando Pirates 1
Why Pirates will win (Khaya Ndubane, Online Content Manager)
Having dominated this encounter over the last couple of years, there is no doubt that Pirates are the favourites to win this encounter.
The Buccaneers have not lost to Kaizer Chiefs since 2014 and I see this dominance continuing at the FNB Stadium this afternoon.
The two sides have squared off twice already in the current campaign, and it has been the Buccaneers who ran off victors on both occasions, winning 2-1 in a league encounter before knocking Amakhosi out of the Telkom Knockout semi-finals with an identical scoreline.
Thembinkosi Lorch, who was in red-hot form when the two sides last met, netting the opener for the Buccaneers.
He is without a doubt, the dangerman that Chiefs will be keeping an eye on as they seek to end their winless run against the Buccaneers. But with Pirates having a clean bill of health going into this encounter, Micho Sredojevic can unleash another secret weapon to dismantle, the shaky Chiefs defence.
Having said that, I expect Pirates to win the match by the same 2-1 scoreline they won with in the previous encounter.
Prediction:Kaizer Chiefs 1 Orlando Pirates 2
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