The Soweto Derby returns on Saturday at what is expected to be a packed out FNB Stadium as Orlando Pirates seek to get back to winning ways against old foes Kaizer Chiefs after a succession of recent defeats.
It remains arguably the biggest sports event in South Africa and one that is steeped in history since it was first played in 1970.
SuperSport.com looks back at the 10 most memorable Soweto Derby matches through history.
24 January, 1970 – Rogue Beer Cup third place play-off
Kaizer Chiefs (2) 4 (Pule Ntsoelengoe 2, Petros Nzimande, Jacob Masike)
Orlando Pirates (2) 6 (Percy Moloi, Petros Nzimande own goal, Remember Majoe 2, Bernard Hartze 2)
The first ever meeting between Chiefs and Pirates took place in a year in which there was no structured league but rather several smaller one-off competitions. The two sides met at the Orlando stadium in the third place play-off of an eight-team tournament sponsored by South African Breweries with total prize money of R1 000.
Pirates’ Teboho ‘Chippa’ Moloi got the first Derby goal before Chiefs’ Petros ‘Ten-Ten’ Nzimande then calamitously scored the second for Pirates with an own goal off his head.
But Chiefs fought back through the guile of ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe, who scored two to level matters by halftime. Then Chiefs went ahead after the break through Nzimande, atoning for his earlier error. But Moloi won the duel of skills with Kaizer Motaung in the second half and Bucs got the upper hand. Remember Majoe made it 3-3 and then ‘Dancing Shoes’ Hartze put Pirates back in the lead. Majoe got his second of the game and Pirates were further ahead, 5-3. Jacob Masike beat Pirates goalkeeper Gerard van der Haer to bring it back to 5-4 in the closing stages but Pirates’ Bernard Hartze made sure of the 6-4 win with a late goal.
24 April, 1971 – League
Kaizer Chiefs (2) 4 (Herman Blaschke, Petros Nzimande 2, Thomas Johnson)
Orlando Pirates (3) 3 (Johnny Kekana, Hubert Leroke, Alfred Jacobs)
The first league meeting between the two sides saw Chiefs stage a remarkable comeback after being three goals down with their player-coach Thomas “Zero’ Johnson proving the hero of the day.
Pirates had chained Chiefs down early in the game and stormed into a runway lead. Kekana pounced early to open the score line and then Leroke and Jacobs added two more. But Blaschke pulled one back and then before halftime Johnson lobbed a cross in for Nzimande to head home against his former club. After the break, Nzimande, Ntsoelengoe and Johnson took control of proceedings and Nzimande blasted home the equaliser, again set up by Johnson. The winner came dramatically with just three minutes left. Jacob Xaba stormed down the left wing, chipped the ball into Ntsoelengoe, who in turn centred to Johnson, who scored with a brilliant scissors kick for an outstanding comeback.
12 February, 1972 – Champion of Champions final, second leg
Orlando Pirates (2) 3 (David Fakude pen, Blessing Mgidi, Alfred Jacobs)
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 7 (Joseph Setlhodi pen, Herman Blaschke, Ariel Kgongoane, Michael Dlamini, Kaizer Motaung, Johnny Mokoena 2)
after extra time
An unbelievable come back for the AmaKhosi after being two goals down at halftime.
Pirates were two goals to the good at the interval; and got a supposed further boost when Chiefs’ Pule Ntsoelengoe hobbled off with injury. But his replacement Vusi ‘Computer’ Lamola turned it on for a spectacular recovery. Chiefs came back through a Joseph Setlhodi penalty after Pirates defender David Fakude had tripped Herman Blaschke. There were two more goals inside the next eight minutes as Blaschke headed home a bicycle kick pass from ‘Bizzah’ Dlamini and then ‘Pro’ Kgongoane dribbled past Leonard Maja before thumping a hard drive home for a 3-2 lead. But Alfred Jacobs forced the game into extra time when got between two defenders to head past an out-of-opposition Setlhodi.
Dlamini put Chiefs had in the lead before the extra time interval change over and then Johnny Mokoena turned himself into the hero of the day by setting up Kaizer Motaung for the fifth goal and then grabbing two more himself as Chiefs ran out as winners in a 10-goal thriller.
6 July, 1974 – League
Kaizer Chiefs (3) 4 (Pule Ntsoelengoe, Shaka Ngcobo 2, Johnny Mokoena)
Orlando Pirates (0) 3 (Jomo Sono pen, MacDonald Skosana 2)
Pirates staged a dramatic comeback in the second half of the game but came one goal short of affecting a remarkable turnaround after trailing 0-4.
Chiefs stormed off to a bright start, taking the lead after only three minutes through Ntsoelengoe, and dominating even after Lamola had to exit the game early with an injury inflicted by an Oscar Dlamini tackle. Lamola’s replacement, Johannes Kholoane, was part of the build-up for the second goal, laying on the ball to ‘Ngcobo, who jumped over Milton Nkosi’s sliding tackle and then dribbled past goalkeeper Banda to make it 2-0 in the 20th minute.
It was not long after that, that Chiefs had a third when Ngcobo latched onto Jackie Masike’s clearance and outpaced defender Ephraim Mashaba to strike the ball into the net. Chiefs were 4-0 up two minutes into the second half when Mashaba and Alfred Mgedeza’s indecision allowed Kholoane to square into the centre for Johnny Mokoena to boot the ball below a diving Banda.
The Pirates comeback began in the 58th minute when Sono converted a penalty after Mokoena and Chiefs goalkeeper Setlhodi sandwiched Skosana off the ball. Bucs then took complete control and Skosana struck twice to reduce the deficit but despite the baying of their supporters Pirates could not find the magical fourth goal.
1 April, 1975 – Chevrolet Champion of Champions semifinal
Kaizer Chiefs (1) 2 (Patson Banda own goal, Shaka Ngcobo)
Orlando Pirates (2) 2 (Gerald Dlamini own goal, Elias Banda)
After extra time. Chiefs won 4-2 on pens
It took penalties to settle the outcome of this game although the novelty of settling the result in this way saw both sides reluctant to participate in the shootout. They had to be warned of possible disqualification from the tournament if they did not take the penalties.
Pirates led 2-1 at home halftime, which included an own goal by Gerald Dlamini, who missed the target as he sought to pass back to goalkeeper Setlhodi. Bucs’ goalkeeper Banda took the blame for the two goals that his club conceded, one of them a fumble into his own net. Ngcobo equalised at 2-2 after outstripping Ntsoseng and then beating the advancing Banda.
The shootout came after extra time and saw Setlhodi missed first for Chiefs while Jomo Sono scored for Pirates. Then Jacob Motaung missed for Bucks and Kaizer Motaung scored for the AmaKhosi. Chiefs went 2-1 ahead when Ntsoelengoe scored and Ngcobo made it 3-1 before ‘Shakes’ Mashaba brought it back to 3-2 but the winning kick was delivered by Blaschke.
4 April, 1971 – Champions of Champions final, second leg
Orlando Pirates (0) 3 (Henry Khumalo 3, 1 pen)
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 1 (Peter Mokotedi)
Second-half substitute Khumalo was given a heroes’ reception at the end of the game after engineering a remarkable victory for Pirates, two goals down on aggregate before the was brought on and changed the outcome of the game.
Chiefs were a goal up from the first leg and held out in the first half at a packed Orlando Stadium, then extending their aggregate lead when Mokotedi scored right after interval. Not even the most die-hard of Pirates’ fans would have then believed a comeback was possible but Khumalo, who had not exactly set Pirates alight since his move from Durban two years previously, turned the result right around.
Kagiso Mogale provided the first for Khumalo in the 64th minute with a defence-splitting pass. Jingles Pereira handled the ball to present Pirates with a chance to win the trophy in the final minute of the game which Khumalo duly converted to set off jubilant scenes of celebration.
10 June, 1984 – JPS Knockout Cup quarterfinal
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 3 (Moran Khulu, Trevor Mtimkulu, Nelson Dladla)
Orlando Pirates (0) 3 (Jeff Ntsibande, Nick Seshweni, Mandla Sithole)
after extra time
This was a match rated as one of the best ever in South African soccer and ended in a stalemate, necessitating a reply. There should have been a penalty shootout to decide who progressed to the semifinals but the referee Taljaard decided it was too dark at Orlando to take the kicks.
Just two minutes from the end of extra time, Dladla had equalised for Chiefs but that was only a fraction of the drama. Chiefs had led 2-0 going into injury time at the end of the game but Pirates came back with Herculean effort.
‘Samora’ Khulu put Chiefs into a 52nd minute lead after a goalless first half. Mtimkulu added a second in the 84th minute, leaving Chiefs fans celebrating what looked relatively easy progress into the next round.
But the game was turned on its head right at the death when Kagiso Mogale was brought down in the Chiefs’ penalty area and Ntsibande slotted away the resultant spot kick. Then followed a strong finish as Seshweni equalised from close range to set the crowd alight and send the game into extra time. Pirates’ kept on the roll, the momentum of their revival spurned by introduction of substitutes Mkhwanazi and Donald ‘Ace’ Khuse.
In the 116th minutes, Pirates took the lead through Sithole but it lasted just 120 seconds before Dladla made it 3-3 at the end of a pulsating experience for all at the Orlando stadium.
25 July, 1992 – Coca-Cola Cup first round
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 3 (Fani Madida 2, 1pen, Albert Bwalya)
Orlando Pirates (1) 2 (Tsepo Ntsoane, David Nyathi)
after extra time
Chiefs came back from two goals down to win a thrilling game that ended with five goals.
Ntsoane received a pass from Mahlangu and unleashed a long drive that hit the back of Botende Eshele’s net for the opening goal in the 34th minute. Nyathi made it 2-0 in the 53rd minute when he collected the ball inside Chiefs’ penalty area, dribbled past the defence and drove the ball home.
But the game turned just 12 minutes from the end when Bernard Lushozi handled in the box and referee Stan Swart awarded Chiefs a spot kick, from which Madida made no mistake with a low drive to the right hand corner of Pirates’ goal.
As Chiefs still looked vulnerable, so they grabbed a dramatic equaliser on the final whistle when Bwalya went sliding in and hit a half volley into the net.
In extra time, Khuse set up Chiefs’ winner by beginning a marvellous inter change of passes. Johannes Phadime looped the ball into the box and Doctor Khumalo headed it on for Madida to finish.
2 November, 1996 – BoB Save Super Bowl semifinal
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 1 (David Modise)
Orlando Pirates (2) 4 (Jerry Sikhosana 3, Helman Mkhalele)
It was one of the best games all year but the Buccaneers could have had eight goals and gave Chiefs the same sort of run around that the AmaKhosi were used to dishing out to other teams. It was too much for Lifa Gqosha, sent off after clattering into teenager Steve Lekoelea.
Sikhosana opened the score in the 18th minute and made it 2-0 just before halftime. Then he got his third before Modise pulled one back for a shell shocked AmaKhosi. Mkhalele made it four for Pirates in the 76th minute.
It was the last time a player has scored a hattrick in the Soweto Derby and just the third time in history.
17 March, 2012 – League
Orlando Pirates (3) 3 (Benni McCarthy 2, Andile Jali)
Kaizer Chiefs (1) 2 (Siphiwe Tshabalala, Lehlohonolo Majoro)
A blitz in the opening 24 minutes from Pirates looked to have sewn up the result but the champions ended up having to hold on to desperately for a vital three points in their bid to defend their league title.
A crescendo of calls for 34-year-old Benni McCarthy to be returned to the Bafana Bafana squad followed his two goals. The goal ace described the match as the best of a career that included a Uefa Champions League final and league matches in the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and England. “
McCarthy – a confirmed Chiefs fan growing up – opened the scoring after he profited from a mistake by Keagan Ritchie to blast the ball home.
Jali had a simple tap-in to make it 2-0 after Segolela’s chipped pass, before McCarthy scored his brace after being teed-up again by Segolela.
That looked like game-over, but Tshabalala reduced the deficit with a fine goal from the edge of the area and Majoro set up a thrilling final 20 minutes when he converted from Bernard Parker’s corner.
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