PIC: Kaizer Chiefs’ Yusuf Maart scores his 60-yard screamer against Orlando Pirates

The Nedbank Cup semifinal between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates on May 6 will be one of the most eagerly anticipated for many a year as the Soweto giants clash in pursuit for the ultimate knockout prize in South African football.  
It is always a titanic battle when these two iconic clubs clash and we can expect another epic chapter to be written in the rich history of South Africa’s biggest rivalry.
We round up the numbers on the titanic contest.

0 – Pirates have not lost a Nedbank Cup semifinal since 2008, advancing on all four occasions they have reached the semifinals. Chiefs have also been to this stage four times, winning twice.

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 six 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 a single Pirates success. 

2 – This will be only the second time these teams have met in the Nedbank Cup since 2008. The other occasion was the Last 32 in 2016 when a brace from Tendai Ndoro gave Pirates a 2-0 victory. They reached the final that year but lost out to SuperSport United.

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 Sikhosana for Pirates all the way back in 1996. 

4 – Four goals is the biggest winning margin in a derby game, twice achieved by Chiefs (7-3 in 1972 and 5-1 in 1975) and once by Pirates (5-1 in 1990).

4 – Alfred Jacobs and Fani Madida hold the distinction of having scored in four successive derbies. Jacobs’ quartet came in 1970 and 1971, and Madida in 1991 and 1992. Chiefs goalkeeper Joseph ‘Banks’ Setlhodi netted penalties in three successive derbies in 1972, Ntsoelengoe scored in three games in a row in 1975 and was matched by Jerry Sikhosana (1996-97) and Dennis Lota (1999-00).

4 – Chiefs’ keeper Setlhodi slotted home four penalties in derbies in both 1971 and 1972, the only goalkeeper to score in clashes between the two sides.

6 – Chiefs are seeking a sixth successive victory over Pirates, something they have not achieved since they won six in a row between February 1991 and November 1992.

6 – The number of players to have scored for both sides in a Soweto Derby – Gabriel Khoza, Blessing Mgidi, Jerry Sadike, Ace Khuse, Mark Maponyane and Marc Bachelor.

8 – The record for the greatest number of Soweto Derby matches in a single season was set in 1975, when the sides met eight times in various competitions. This will be their third clash in this campaign.

9 – The number of years since Pirates were last Nedbank Cup winners. They lost finals in 2016 and 2017, both to SuperSport United.

10 – The last 10 fixtures between Pirates and Chiefs have seen seven wins for the latter to go with three for The Buccaneers. There was a time when the draw was the most dominant Derby result, but these days we always seem to get a result.

10 – The number of years since Chiefs last won the Nedbank Cup, beating SuperSport United in the final. They have been to one decider since then, in 2019 when they were shocked by then second-tier TS Galaxy.

10 – The most goals scored in a Soweto derby game, which has occurred twice, including in the very first meeting. Pirates claimed a 6-4 victory in January 1970, while Chiefs won 7-3 in February 1972.

19 – The leading scorer in Soweto derby matches in former Chiefs Star Pule ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe, who netted 19 goals. It is a record that is unlikely to ever be beaten. The leading scorer for Pirates is Jomo Sono with nine goals.

19 – The fastest goal in Soweto derby history was scored by Chiefs’ forward Mabhuti Khenyeza when he netted after 19 seconds in a 2-2 draw in a fixture played in Durban in 2007. 

44 – Pirates have secured 44 wins against Chiefs over the years, their last in January 2021 when they claimed a 2-1 league victory. 

60 – Yusuf Maart’s winner for Chiefs in the first Derby meeting this season came from 60 yards, one of the best goals in the history of the fixture. Records from the early days are not that detailed, but it is hard to think of a Derby goal scored from a longer distance.

73 – Chiefs have managed 74 wins over Pirates down the years, including in their last five meetings.

177 – The number of clashes between the two sides in competitive fixtures since their first in January 1970.

190 – The number of goals Pirates have managed against the bitter rivals. 

227 – The number of goals Chiefs have scored in Soweto Derby matches.