All that you need to know about the two upcoming Soweto derbies 

The moment that all football fans have been waiting for is on the horizon and edging closer, when Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates face off at the FNB Stadium for their iconic Soweto Derby clash on Saturday afternoon. 

Even though the fixture is not entirely living up to its standard on the pitch in recent years, off the pitch, it’s a different story altogether, as the hype and fever around the game is second to none. 

Year in and year out, there is always a story to tell about the Soweto derby, and this season will be no different, as it will be played back-to-back in the league and Nedbank Cup final a week later. 

Here is all that you need to know about the upcoming Soweto derby: 

  

Mbekezeli Mbokazi Soweto derby debut 

The new kid on the block, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, is on the verge of etching his name in the history books of this iconic fixture when he makes his Soweto derby debut. 

Mbokazi, 19, has become an integral part of coach Jose Riveiro’s team that is now competing on two fronts – the Betway Premiership and the Nedbank Cup after crashing out of the CAF Champions League on Friday. 

To prove that the tenacious defender will be key for Riveiro in his final season, Pirates did not release him for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations that kicks off today. 

  

League match tickets were sold out three weeks ago 

The tickets for this much-anticipated encounter were sold like hotcakes after they were announced to have been sold out just days after they were made available to the public. 

After the derby drew about 100 000 spectators in the 90 000 capacity FNB stadium, Bertie Grobbelaar, CEO of the Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA), assured that new measures were put in place. 

“We have identified over the last couple of seasons an increase in the number of fraudulent tickets and access control we have at the venues, specifically at sold-out games,” Grobbelaar said. 

In a bid to curb the rise of fraudulent fake tickets, SMSA introduced the Open Tickets system and replaced Ticketpro. 

“We are confident that with the measures that we are going to apply at the access points, we will be able to manage that process far more effectively than we have to date with the slip tickets,” Grobbelaar added. 

  

Riveiro to contest for his final Soweto derbies 

After announcing that he will be leaving the Sea Robbers at the end of the season, Jose Riveiro will be hoping to win all his last round of matches, including the two upcoming Soweto derbies. 

Riveiro already holds the record of being the only Orlando Pirates coach in the PSL era to win four consecutive Soweto derby matches and will aim to extend it to six in a row. 

  

Maela is currently the active player with the most derby appearances 

Orlando Pirates captain Innocent Maela is currently the active player with the most Soweto derby appearances (14). 

Maela follows in the footsteps of former captain Happy Jele, who holds the club’s record with 28 appearances in the iconic fixture. 

Amakhosi’s Simphiwe Shabalala holds the record of the most derby appearances with 31, followed by Willard Katsande and Benard Parker on 29, while Itumeleng Khune is on 28. 

  

Nabi in search of his first Soweto derby win 

In what has been a topsy-turvy first season in the Amakhosi hot seat, Nasreddine Nabi will be searching for his first derby win and walk away with three points that will come in handy at the end of the season. 

Nabi lost the previous derby 1-0, courtesy of a cheeky stoppage-time Panenka from Patrick Maswanganyi. 

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