Why we have had to wait until almost March for the first meeting of the sides this campaign is unclear, but it comes at a crucial time for both teams, who must overcome recent setbacks and go for maximum points.
A draw would take Pirates back to the top of the table, with Mamelodi Sundowns only in action on Sunday, while Chiefs desperately need a win to keep their fading title hopes alive.
Here are the key numbers behind the biggest sporting event in South Africa:
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.
1 – Both Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and Kaizer Chiefs co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze will take charge of their first Soweto Derby. Ben Youssef and Kaze were previously assistants to former Amakhosi coach Nasreddine Nabi.
1 – Namibian-born Herman Blaschke was the first foreigner to score in the Derby in 1975. Later that year Zimbabwean Ebison Mugoyo also netted for Chiefs.
3 – Both teams come into the game in indifferent form. Chiefs have lost three of their last four matches, including a 2-1 home defeat to Stellenbosch FC on Tuesday. Pirates lost a key league clash to Sundowns and were then dumped out of the Nedbank Cup by second-tier Casric Stars.
3 – Jerry Sikhosana was the last player to score a hat-trick in the Derby, in Pirates’ 4-1 win in 1996. There have been only three hat-tricks in the fixture’s history — Mugoyo (Chiefs), Henry Khumalo (Pirates) and Sikhosana.
4 – Four goals is the biggest winning margin in a Derby, achieved twice by Chiefs (7-3 in 1972 and 5-1 in 1975) and once by Pirates (5-1 in 1990).
4 – Alfred ‘Russia’ Jacobs and Fani Madida both scored in four successive derbies. Jacobs did so in 1970-71 and Madida in 1991-92.
5 – Pirates had won a club-record five successive matches against Chiefs before losing the 2025 Nedbank Cup final 2-1.
6 – Six players have scored for both sides in a Derby: Gabriel Khoza, Blessing Mgidi, Jerry Sadike, Ace Khuse, Marks Maponyane and Marc Bachelor.
6 – Six coaches have sat on both benches in the Derby, most recently Vladimir Vermezovic. Others include Kosta Papic, Walter da Silva, Ted Dumitru, Augusto Palacios and Joe Frickleton.
8 – The record for the most Derby matches in a single season was set in 1975 when the sides met eight times in various competitions.
11 – There have been 11 own goals in Derby history — seven by Pirates players and four by Chiefs. The last came from Pirates defender Olisa Ndah in February 2023.
12 – The last 12 meetings have all been decided by a single-goal margin. Pirates’ 2-0 win in 2020 was the last time either side won by more than one goal.
16 – There has not been a draw in the last 16 competitive meetings since 2019. In that time, Pirates have won eight and Chiefs eight. The last draw was 2-2 in the Telkom Knockout in November 2019.
19 – The fastest goal in Derby history was scored by Chiefs forward Mabhuti Khenyeza after 19 seconds in a 2-2 draw in Durban in 2007.
19 – The leading scorer in Derby history is Chiefs legend Pule “Ace” Ntsoelengoe with 19 goals. Pirates’ top scorer is Jomo Sono with nine.
24 – There have been 24 goals scored in the last 10 Derby matches, with each side netting 12.
31 – Siphiwe Tshabalala holds the record for the most Derby appearances. His first came in November 2007 and his last in 2018.
60 – Yusuf Maart’s winner for Chiefs in the 2022/23 season came from 60 yards, one of the most spectacular goals in the fixture’s history.
78 – Soccer City (FNB Stadium) has hosted 78 Derbies, including the last seven. Orlando Stadium has staged 63, including the first meeting. The fixture has been played at 15 venues in total, including Durban, Gqeberha and Mdantsane.
183 – There have been 183 competitive meetings since January 1970. Chiefs have 75 wins, Pirates 49, with 54 draws and five abandoned matches.
200 – Pirates have scored exactly 200 goals against Chiefs, bringing up the milestone when Evidence Makgopa netted in the 2-1 Nedbank Cup final defeat. Chiefs have scored 233.
94,000 – The Derby is usually played at the 94,000-seat FNB Stadium and is typically sold out, although around 80,000 tickets are made available for safety reasons.
