Soweto Derby in Numbers
The Soweto derby returns this Saturday for the latest instalment in South Africa’s biggest rivalry, a fixture steeped in history and with no shortage of drama down the years.
We take a look at the clash between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in numbers.
1 – Percy ‘Chippa’ Moloi scored the first ever Soweto Derby goal as Pirates won 6-4 on January 24, 1970 in the third-place playoff for the Rogue Beer Cup. It was the first meeting between the sides. Chiefs’ Petros ‘Ten-Ten’ Nzimande then scored the first own goal to put Pirates 2-0 up, but the AmaKhosi’s first strike against their new rivals fittingly came from star man Pule ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe.
1 – The last seven meetings between these sides have been won by a single goal margin, showing how tight the clashes have been. Chiefs have won five of those to go with two Pirates successes.
1 – This will be a first Soweto Derby in charge for Chiefs coach Cavin Johnson. He has three wins in 18 career meetings with Pirates for his various past clubs.
1 – This is the first time in recorded history that both Chiefs and Pirates start Soweto Derby week in the bottom half of the table. Both could move out with midweek wins though.
2 – Eric Tinkler (Pirates) and Arthur Zwane (Chiefs) are the only South African coaches to have collected two Derby wins in the PSL era. Former Chiefs tactician, the Scot Stuart Baxter, leads the way with five since the 1996/97 season.
3 – There have only been three Soweto Derby hattricks over the years, a surprisingly low figure considering the game was often a high-scoring affair in the 1970s especially. Ebison Mugoyo got the first in a 5-1 win for Chiefs, while Henry Khumalo managed the second as Pirates claimed a 3-1 success. The last was by Jerry
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