Playing Conditions: Partly Cloud, rain, high humidity, temperature at kick off 23° C

It took just 19 seconds for the 132nd Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and their rivals Orlando Pirates to come alive, as Chiefs were out of the starting blocks early on in their game against the Buccaneers as Mabhudi Khenyeza powered them in front with a well taken volley.

The volley was given the deserved applause for UEFA President Michel Platini who as a player was known for scoring the odd belter.

It was a lead Chiefs held until the 34th minute when Excellent Walaza scored the first of his two goals as he headed home a Bennett Chenene cross. A further Walaza goal in the second half and an Arthur Zwane equalizer later on ensured that an exciting game played in driving rain ended 2-2. It ensured that the capacity crowd and the FIFA delegates in town for the 2010 FIFA Preliminary draw were treated to an entertaining afternoon of football.

By Chiefs avoiding defeat against Pirates it meant that they have now gone more than three years with out losing to Pirates in official league and cup competition, during the last seven meetings between the teams in league action Chiefs have won two with five games being drawn.

Vintage Khenyeza

The Amakhosi could not have wished for a better start than they got, straight from the kick off Shaun Bartlett was played in on the left wing, he tried to power past the Pirates skipper Lehlohonolo Sema but the Pirates skipper stood his ground and knocked the ball out for a throw in. Bartlett got up off his feet and took the throw in which he managed to get on to the chest of Khenyeza, who controlled the ball with his chest his pushed back his marker Bongani Cashibe and with his back to goal sweetly connected with the ball on the volley. By the time he had turned around the ball had gone across goal and beat a despairing Meyiwa all ends up, to rock the back of the net and had all those in gold and black inside the ABSA off their seats and dancing in the aisles.

Excellent comeback

Prior to the match Pirates midfielder Teko Modise had been getting much of the rave reviews from the media, he was kept quiet as Thabo Mooki and Gerald Sibeko took turns in doing a man marking job on him. There was though one moment in the first half when Chiefs allowed him to roam freely and he linked up with Lebohang Mokoena on the left. While The Amakhosi did manage to stop Modise and Mokena initially Pirates managed to retrieve the ball again and got it out wide to Chenene whose incoming cross was headed home by Walaza in the 34th minute to level proceedings.

Second half fight

While the first half saw both teams seeing each other out the second forty five minutes proved to be the more entertaining of the two periods. David Obua who was on as a halftime substitute almost made an immediate impact on the game. On the forty six minutes he managed to intercept a pass by Mokena on the half way line and sent Bartlett in the clear on the right, Bartlett raced into the Pirates 18 yard area and shot across goal the ball beat Meyiwa but could not find the target.

Making the most of being let off the hook, Pirates went ahead for the first time in the game when man-of-the-match Walaza pounced in the fifty first minute to complete his brace. Paulus Masehe was put goal side he was though stopped in his tracks by McCarthy the ball rolled on towards Itumeleng Khune who got hit on the chest by the oncoming ball, which then rolled out to an un marked Walaza who knocked the ball into the open net.

Zwane breaks drought

Pirates did not hold the lead for long though and Chiefs were back on level terms eight minutes after going behind, off a throw in Khenyeza missed the ball and it landed to Bartlett who fought for the ball but did not manage to win it back Cashibe though did get there first. His clearance though could only manage to ricochet off his captain Sema and the ball flew back towards goal, where Zwane was waiting to head the ball home from close range. For Zwane it was his first goal since the 11th September 2005 for Chiefs, his last coming when he scored his second goal almost two years ago when Chiefs beat Dynamos 2-0 in Giyani.

Obua the difference

Having made a name for himself in this fixture in the past, Obua who was introduced by Ertugral as a second half substitute, almost repeated his heroics from the 2005 – 2006 season. First up he set Bartlett in the clear a minute into the second half, after that he was able in the 63rd minute to pick up a lose ball from Pirates keeper Meyiwa and managed to find Bartlett who in turn rolled the ball to Khenyeza who drilled the ball goal wards this time Meyiwa stood his ground and managed to push the ball up and over. From the resulting corner Obua again brought the best out of Meyiwa with a thundering shot from the right edge of the 18 yard area, which the Pirates keeper again did well to keep out.

Match Facts:

Orlando Pirates: 01. Senzo Meyiwa, 14. Lucky Lekgwathi, 17. Lehlohonolo Seema,

38. Bongani Cashibe, 19. Innocent Mdeledle, 35. Lindokkuhle Mkhwanazi, 23. Lebohang Mokoena, 42. Bennet Chenene, 11. Teko Modise, 18. Paulus Masehe, 08. Excellent Walaza

Substitutions:

In: 26. Tlou Segolela


Out: 18. Paulus Masehe 68 min

Substitutes not used: 44. Francis Chansa, 12. Destin Makita, 03. Thapelo Leshabane,

06. Mlungisi Gumbi, 24. Joseph Makhanya, 34. Gerald Modabi

Coach: Owen Da Gama


Goalkeeper Coach: Pierre Mbarga

Kaizer Chiefs: 32. Itumeleng Khune, 2. Jimmy Tau, 3. Onismor Bhasera, 4. Cyril Nzama,

6. Fabian McCarthy, 12. Thabo Mooki, 14. Siphiwe Tshabalala, 27. Gerald Sibeko,

18. Arthur Zwane, 17. Shaun Bartlett, 5. Mabhudi Khenyeza

Substitutions:

In: 13. David Obua Out: 14. Siphiwe Tshabalala 46 min


In: 7. Kaizer Motaung Junior Out: 12. Thabo Mooki 64 min


In: 24. David Mathebula Out: 17. Shaun Bartlett 72 min

Cautions: Yellow Cards, 24. David Mathebula (studs up tackle on Bennet Chenene) 80 min, 27. Gerald Sibeko (pulling down Lebohang Mokoena) 86 min

Substitutes not used: 30. Emille Baron, 26. Thuso Phala, 29. Mokete Tsotetsi,

33. Ditheko Mototo

Coach: Muhsin Ertugral


Assistant Coach: Fani Madida


Goalkeeper Coach: Rainer Dinkelacker

Match Officials:

Referee: Ace Ncobo


Assistant 1: Teko Molebo


Assistant 2: Yugesh Anjit


4th Official: Yusuf Vawda

Match Commissioner: Stan Swart