Soweto Derby: 5 Crucial Campaigners for Orlando Pirates Against Kaizer Chiefs

Orlando Pirates are on the road to visit their cross-town rivals in the form of Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday afternoon. With Kaizer Chiefs blowing hot and cold so far, the odds are stacked against the Glamour Boys.

Briefly News takes a look at five Pirates players that can cause all sorts of troubles for coach Stuart Baxter’s troops. Many legends would argue that previous results don’t actually count in a Soweto Derby, but coach Mandla Ncikazi’s side is rated as the favourites.

Five Orlando Pirates players who can shock Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs Twitter Gives Its Verdict: Amakhosi Are Playing Much Better Without Coach Baxter

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With coach Baxter having made it clear that the DStv Premiership log table is not a concern for him and his troops, we look at some players who can give Pirates the maximum points. Based on an analysis by Goal, Briefly News also explores who can become the best performers for the former MTN8 champions.

Abel Mabaso

Mabaso is a revelation for the Soweto giants this term and his emergence has proven to be a reliable choice for the technical team. The versatile midfielder will battle it out against the likes of Keegan Dolly, Khama Billiat and Bernard Parker in the heart of the park.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns player is a man with a vision for a defence-splitting pass, he has a high work rate and becomes a favourite to start the match.

Kabelo Dlamini

Dlamini is another reliable campaigner for the former African champions and will be crucial in the final third. He has an eye for a good run into the box but he will need to work on his finishing.

Despite failing to make his mark since completing his switch in 2019, he has made a tremendous improvement so far. He is high in morale after scoring for the team during their midweek clash.

Tshegofatso Mabasa

In the absence of Gabadinho Mhango, the former Bloemfontein Celtic striker has made the target position as his own. He will be the go-to man for the club against Chiefs. Although he lacks composure at times, he will still be a handful for the hosts. His battles with the likes of Daniel Cardoso or Erick Mathoho will be interesting to watch at FNB Stadium.

Linda Mntambo

Also known as 'Deco', Mntambo can be credited for slaying the Soweto bigshots in the MTN8 last season. His stellar displays and passing in the middle of the field will be key for Ncikazi. At the same time, the former Jomo Cosmos star has an eye for good long-range shots which might be difficult to handle for Bruce Bvuma or Daniel Akpeyi. As Pirates are still without Thembinkosi Lorch and Vincent Pule, Mntambo will look to become a Soweto Derby hero.

Paseka Mako

Mako is one of the hard-working players for the Black and White and his runs down the left flank will be a threat for Baxter’s technical team. The nippy full-back is also one of the most improved players since the absence of trusted Innocent Maela. He possesses a good eye for good runs into the box and with his good engine, Chiefs will have sleepless nights over his attacking skills.

On the other hand, Pirates will miss a number of key players for the clash and Ncikazi provided an update. According to KickOff, Pirates will miss skipper happy Jele and goalkeeper Richard Ofori.

Soweto giants: 6 retired jerseys at Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs

In a related piece, Briefly News posted that following the news that Kaizer Chiefs decided to retire jersey number 20 to pay respect to legend Howard Freese, Briefly News takes a look at a number of jerseys that are retired.

Ahead of the eagerly anticipated Soweto derby this weekend, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs have a number of shirts they retired.

In honour of their top players of the past, the two Soweto giants have respected their previous greats in recent times.

For the Buccaneers, they retired some of their shirt numbers including two of their late players, goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa’s shirts and striker Lesley Manyathela were retired.