Soweto Derby Preview: Pirates Seek Repeat, Chiefs Search for Answers

The Soweto Derby returns for its second installment of the season and the 58th league meeting between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. All eyes turn to how Orlando Pirates bounce back after the Champions League exit and how the Kaizer Chiefs will respond after the 2-1 defeat against Marumo Gallants. The last derby took place in February when the Bucs beat Amakhosi 1-0 with a 96th-minute penalty.

Pirates’ Tactical Superiority Last Time Out

Orlando Pirates walked away with all three points in the last meeting, but the real story lay in how comprehensively they outplayed Chiefs in key moments. The Buccaneers generated an xG (expected goals) of 1.79 compared to Chiefs’ 0.21 – a glaring indicator of the gap in chance quality and attacking intent.

Their approach was methodical and sustained. Pirates registered 12 shots, many from close range and central areas. Tshegofatso Mabasa has the highest xG of all Pirates players whilst Patrick Maswanganyi scored the match-winning penalty that sealed the result. But despite creating such clear chances, Pirates only scored once – something they’ll be eager to improve on this weekend.

Defensively, they were just as impressive. Pirates’ structure forced Chiefs into poor shooting positions, often from distance or wide angles. They defended the box aggressively and rarely allowed central penetration, nullifying Chiefs’ key attackers and reducing them to hopeful efforts.

Chiefs’ Need for a Tactical Reset

Kaizer Chiefs, meanwhile, struggled throughout. Despite taking seven shots, they mustered just 0.21 xG, a stat that reflects how poor their attack was in real terms. Even their main threat, Pule Mmodi, produced only 0.06 xG, showing how isolated and ineffective Chiefs’ forwards were against a compact Pirates backline.

The February clash also exposed a lack of adaptability under pressure. The xG timeline showed Pirates gradually building their threat over both halves, while Chiefs were pinned back for long periods without generating any real momentum.

Chiefs must find a way to disrupt Pirates’ rhythm – scoring the first goal is one way to go. AmaKhosi is also the team to have taken the most shots this campaign (14.84 shots per game) whilst it is their lack of goals & conversion% that have let them down. That means injecting more pace and movement in the final third, particularly with runners getting into the box to stretch the Pirates’ defense. Transitions will be key – Chiefs were too slow in shifting from defense to attack in the last encounter, giving Pirates time to reset.

What to Expect This Time

If Pirates replicate the control and structure from the previous derby, they’ll fancy their chances of doing the double over their arch-rivals. But they’ll also know they need to be more clinical.

For Chiefs, it’s about reinvention. They must shake off the predictability that plagued their February performance and find a way to challenge Pirates’ shape and discipline.