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Soweto Derby: Historic cup final showdown awaits as Pirates and Chiefs clash again

Soweto Derby: Historic cup final showdown awaits as Pirates and Chiefs clash again
Boitumelo Radiopane of Orlando Pirates and Ashley Du Preez of Kaizer Chiefs during the Betway Premiership match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium on May 03, 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)
Yanga Sibembe
By Yanga Sibembe
9 May 2025
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Departing Orlando Pirates coach José Riveiro is targeting his sixth trophy from six finals in South African soccer. His Kaizer Chiefs counterpart Nasreddine Nabi is out to end the team’s run of going 10 years without a major trophy.

The Soweto Derby is one of Africa’s marquee sports fixtures — capturing the attention of young and old, sports fanatics and casual observers. When Orlando Pirates play Kaizer Chiefs, South Africans are absorbed for 90 minutes, enthralled by two of the country’s most well-supported soccer clubs. However, it does not always live up to expectations.  

When the ingredient of a Soweto Derby in a cup final is added to the mix, the stakes are even higher. This will be the case on Saturday, 10 May 2025, when the Sea Robbers and Amakhosi clash in a sold-out Nedbank Cup final at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Although people are guaranteed two Soweto Derby battles a season through Premiership matches, Chiefs-Pirates clashes in cup finals are rare. Which makes Saturday’s tussle even more special.

The last time the two teams clashed in a knockout contest decider was more than a decade ago, in the 2014/15 MTN8 final. On that occasion it was Amakhosi who walked away as winners — triumphing 1-0 thanks to a Tefu Mashamaite goal. Coincidentally, that final also took place at Moses Mabhida Stadium.  

No glory for Glamour Boys


That MTN8 triumph for the Glamour Boys would mark one of the last pieces of silverware for the Soweto giants; they also clinched the Premiership title. The latter was the last major trophy for Amakhosi as 10 years later they are still looking to end their longstanding trophy drought.

As one of the heavyweights of African soccer, Amakhosi’s trophy drought has harmed not only their reputation, but the overall ecosystem of South African soccer. A competitive and successful Chiefs is great for South African soccer, as Cape Town City chairperson John Comitis pointed out in 2024.

However, over the past 10 years Chiefs have had more coaches than they’ve had success. Many a mentor has come and gone, including tacticians such as Steve Komphela, Italian Giovanni Solinas, Ernst Middendorp, Gavin Hunt, Stuart Baxter and even club legend Arthur Zwane. None has been able to resurrect the fallen soccer giant.

On the right track?


Current coach Nasreddine Nabi, who arrived in Naturena just under a year ago, is the latest mentor to attempt CPR on Amakhosi. It has not been an easy ride for the Tunisian and his staff, with Chiefs languishing in ninth place on the Premiership table.  

Nevertheless, steering Chiefs to their first domestic final since they lost the 2019 Nedbank Cup decider to TS Galaxy (who were campaigning in the Championship at the time) is a step in the right direction for Nabi and the club.

Mandla Ncikazi, the assistant coach of Orlando Pirates. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images)



Cedric Kaze, the assistant coach of Kaizer Chiefs. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images)



Owing to their general struggles this season, Amakhosi are cognisant that Pirates head into the final with a slight psychological edge, especially after the Buccaneers also defeated Chiefs 2-1 in a league fixture a week ago. Nonetheless, form and similar metrics usually count for very little when it comes to the Soweto Derby.   

“I’m very happy to come into this game as the underdog, and we know what our chances are. We have played them not long ago and we feel that it’s a privilege to play them two times in such a short period,” said Amakhosi assistant coach Cedric Kaze.

“But a final is a final, and I’m very happy that all the pressure of this final is on Orlando Pirates’ shoulders,” said Nabi’s lieutenant.

Cup specialists


Of course, Amakhosi are not just facing any old Pirates side. They are facing a Buccaneers team that has won five of the last five finals they have participated in since the arrival of their Spanish coach, José Riveiro, in 2022.

They are undoubtedly knockout competition specialists, even after their elimination from the African Champions League semifinals in April. With Riveiro announcing that he will leave the club when his three-year contract expires in a few weeks, his players will be desperate to send him off with one more piece of silverware.

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro and Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi . (Photo: Lefty Shivambu / Gallo Images)



Boitumelo Radiopane of Orlando Pirates and Ashley du Preez of Kaizer Chiefs during their Premiership match at FNB Stadium on 3 May 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo: Lefty Shivambu / Gallo Images)



Riveiro’s assistant Mandla Ncikazi says the Sea Robbers are focused on making this happen and have not been distracted by the news of Riveiro’s imminent exit.  

“One thing that assists our team to perform the way they perform is that we try to analyse when it happens inside the football field. We cut the frills of what happens outside the field,” Ncikazi told journalists.

“So, for the players it’s not about the coach leaving or not leaving. It’s about the opponent we are playing next, which is Kaizer Chiefs… We don’t enter in that space where what happens outside the field affects what will happen on the field,” Ncikazi said.

Safety concerns


Before the mega clash there have been some administrative glitches that have dampened the excitement somewhat. The decision by the organisers to take the match to Durban raised some eyebrows.

Soweto Derbies are traditionally played at Soccer City in Nasrec, mostly for safety reasons. The Johannesburg stadium can accommodate well over 90,000 spectators. By contrast, the capacity at Mabhida is about 55,000.

Due to renovations currently taking place at Mabhida, only 41,000 general tickets were made available for the derby. However, a technical glitch on the overwhelmed platforms of Open Tickets and Computicket resulted in the overselling of almost 10,000 more tickets.

Despite the online platforms saying they will refund supporters who bought tickets after 41,000 mark, angry fans have said they do not want any refunds and that they will be in the stadium by any possible means.   

The organisers cited this weekend’s Ultra Music Festival as the main reason they opted for Durban. Ultra takes place at the Nasrec Expo Centre, which is just a stone’s throw from Soccer City.

As such, the cup organisers felt it would be a logistical nightmare hosting both events on the same day and just a couple of kilometres apart. Based on the threats of forced entry circulating on social media, security around the cup final venue has been beefed up. DM  

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