Protest Planned for Orlando Pirates Versus Kaizer Chiefs Derby, Fans Want Supporters Back in Stadiums

• Orlando Pirates will host their fiercest rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, in the Soweto Deby in March at the Orlando Stadium
• The National Football Supporters’ Association plan to hold a peaceful protest outside the stadium before the Orlando Pirates vs Kaizer Chiefs match
• It has been 19 months since fans were allowed to attend a live football match in South Africa due to the Covid19 pandemic

It has been 19 months since fans were allowed into stadiums to watch live football in South Africa, and the National Football Supporters’ Association (NAFSA) has had enough.

NAFSA plans to protest the absence of fans from live games by holding demonstrations outside the Orlando Stadium on the day of the Soweto Derby.

The highly anticipated Soweto Derby will take place on 5 March when Orlando Pirates host Kaizer Chiefs.

The Soweto Derby has always been the most-watched football game on the local calendar and in years gone by, close to 90 000 people have packed into stadiums to watch the two teams collide. This year NAFSA wants to protest that no one will be allowed in to see the game.

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The Association confirmed that they will hold a peaceful protest outside the Orlando Stadium, and have called on all fans of the beautiful game to join in, Goal.Com reported.

NAFSA acting CEO, Siyabulela Loyilane explained that the Association had liaised with the Sports Ministry and the South African Football Association (SAFA), but received no joy. They had also written to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) regarding the matter but didn’t even receive a response.

He added that there were promises made to have fans back in stadiums but no action was taken on these promises.

The South African also reported that SAFA had effectively blamed the PSL for the lack of supporters. SAFA has permitted 2 000 fans to be allowed to Bafana games, in a similar vein to rugby games in the country. However, the PSL has yet to welcome fans back in. The protest will take place on 5 March at 11 am at the Orlando Stadium.

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Man thinks local soccer would be better if Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs were strong again, fans disagree

In other news concerning the Soweto giants, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs have always been juggernauts of South African football, but it’s been a while that either team has proven to be a real force.

One Twitter user noted this fact, arguing that it would be a boost for South African football if Chiefs and Pirates were strong again, but not everyone agreed with his sentiment, Sports Brief reported.

Orlando Pirates last won the league title in the 2011/12 season while Kaizer Chiefs last won it in the 2014/15 season, SoccerWay confirmed. The following years were dominated by Mamelodi Sundowns, except for Bidvest Wits taking the title in 2016/17.