Pirates rain on Amakhosi Derby hopes
Pirates rain on Amakhosi Derby hopes

Posted in Match Report, News, Team News on Feb 28, 2026.

Kaizer Chiefs (0) 0

Orlando Pirates (2) 3
(Moremi 5’, Appollis 39’, Makgopa 78’)

Betway Premiership
FNB stadium, Nasrec

On a day that began bathed in sunshine and ended in precipitation, Orlando Pirates rained on the bright pre-match hopes of the Amakhosi Faithful that packed FNB stadium by winning the first Betway Premiership Soweto Derby of the season 3-0 on Saturday.

Tshepang Moremi gave Pirates an early lead in the 5th minute before Oswin Appollis doubled the lead six minutes before halftime. Evidence Makgopa added the third in the 78th minute on a disappointing afternoon for lovers of the God & Black.

Chiefs struggled to find any rhythm throughout the first half and fell behind with only four minutes gone when Deon Hotto played a corner to Moremi just outside the Amakhosi penalty area. He was allowed too much time to set himself for a shot which took a wicked deflection off Flavio Da Silva, leaving Bruce Bvuma wrong-footed as the ball dribbled into his net.

The home side tried to play their way back into the game and had a few promising moments, particularly down the left flank where Ethan Chislett continued the good form from his debut in midweek and Pule Mmodi made some good forays into Pirates territory.

In midfield, Lebohang Maboe and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo were finding the going tough and weren’t able to bring attacking threats from Da Silva and Glody Lilepo into the game. Chiefs were on the back foot for much of the half, with the likes of Inacio Miguel, Zitha Kwinika and, especially, Aden McCarthy performing at their best to repel the visitors.

That was until the 39th minute in which Relebohile Mofokeng found Appollis in space inside the box whereupon the striker placed his shot beyond Bvuma’s grasp to double the lead.

Chiefs ought to have been awarded a penalty two minutes later when replays showed that Hotto appeared to foul Da Silva inside the box, but the referee waved play on and the team went into the break with Pirates leading 2-0.

Amakhosi made more of a fist of the contest in the second half, coming out on the front foot and making goalkeeper Sipho Chaine work to save from Chislett and Lilepo.

However, they could not gain enough traction to claw their way back and were consigned to a miserable day in the 78th minute when Makgopa headed home from a Moremi cross after Hotto had taken a quick throw in with Miguel off the field receiving treatment for cramp.

Chiefs remain in fourth place in the league table for the time being and will be extra determined to get their season back on track when they visit Richards Bay on Tuesday, 3 March.

Line-ups

Kaizer Chiefs: Bvuma (16); McCarthy (35), Miguel (84) (Cross (48) 81’), (Kwinika (4), Monyane (2), Ngcobo (12) (Cele (21)46’), Maboe (6), Chislett (23) (Du Preez (9) 67’), Mmodi (13) (Velebayi (17) 46’), Lilepo (99), Da Silva (77) (Duba (47) 81’)

Subs not used: Ntwari (71); Mako (29), Solomons (18), Sirino (10)

Coaches: Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze

Orlando Pirates: Chaine (24); Sibisi (5), Seema (33), Sibelebele (36), Hotto (7), Makhaula (8), Mofokeng (38), Mbatha (16) (Nemtajela (15) 62’), Mbuthuma (9) (Makgopa (17) 69’), Moremi (11) (Van Rooyen (21) 85’), Appolis (12) (Masanganyi (28) 85’)

Subs not used: Buthelezi (35); Dansin (46), Chabatsane (43), De Jong (14), Ndaba (3)

Coach: Ouaddou Abdeslami


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