Latest news with #SowetoDerbies
IOL News
09-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Former Orlando Pirates player backs Bucs to win title ahead of Soweto Derby
HIGH EXPECTATIONS Former Orlando Pirates star Benedict Vilakazi predicts the Bucs will clinch the Betway Premiership title, surpassing Mamelodi Sundowns, ahead of the highly anticipated Soweto Derby. Picture: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers Never mind Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto Derby this weekend, Orlando Pirates will go on to win the Betway Premiership title this season. This is according to former Pirates player Benedict Vilakazi ahead of one of the headline fixtures on the local football calendar on Saturday at FNB Stadium. Though form generally counts little when it comes to Soweto Derbies, Pirates will still be the heavy favourites for the encounter. Pirates made it all the way to the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League, and are still in the hunt for the league this season as they look to stop Mamelodi Sundowns winning their eighth title in a row. Chiefs, meanwhile, are in ninth spot with five games remaining and face the prospect of missing out on the lucrative top eight for a second season in a row.
IOL News
06-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Is Nasreddine Nabi feeling the heat as Kaizer Chiefs coach?
Saying that meant poor results along the way should not be judged too harshly. From the start of Nabi's tenure at the beginning of the season, he preached patience by saying his aim at the club was to change its fortunes in the long term. The cracks, however, are beginning to show and that's not even referring to the poor results of the club. Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi is not going anywhere. That's at least according to the tactician and the club. Nabi Faces Uncertain Future at Chiefs Amid Poor Results and Heavy Criticism Though Chiefs have played some enterprising football under Nabi, the results certainly have been poor. Chiefs are currently ninth in the Betway Premiership, and unless they beat their much-fancied rivals Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final in Durban on Saturday, their last piece of silverware will remain the league title in the 2014/2015 season. With that in mind, it was quite revealing to hear Nabi's response to heavy criticism as a journalist asked him over the weekend if he would be staying at Chiefs. The question was posed to Nabi after his side lost 2-1 to Pirates in their league encounter, which was the first of two Soweto Derbies in the space of a week. 'Normally I wouldn't answer this question, but today I will… Secondly, I don't think you are the right man to decide if I'm staying or not, my role and why I am here; everyone knows this is a process, and in terms of process, we can't be reacting or expect immediate results," Nabi told reporters. 'You are a professional journalist; you will have information about this club. This club plays for the title, this one plays for the Champions League, this one for whatever… I came here for the process; we said this in the first press conference: this is the transition season. "If you are in a process, you don't tell me why you stay here – two things: you are not professional, but I respect you; don't provoke me because I'm not a young coach; I have big experience—I know what you're asking; don't provoke me. Nabi continued on his counter, again saying it was not a professional question to ask. 'You have a bad result. Why do you stay here? This is not professionalto ask. Talk to me about tactics, about the football process. I'm not nervous. I respect you.' @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport * The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media. ** JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Send us an email with your comments, thoughts or responses to [email protected]. Letters should be a maximum of 500 words, and may be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Submissions should include a contact number and physical address (not for publication).
IOL News
06-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Gaston Sirino reveals how Kaizer Chiefs can win cup final
KEY TO VICTORY Gaston Sirino (right) has highlighted Kaizer Chiefs' need for greater game control in order to secure victory against Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final. Picture: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix Chiefs, however, did open the scoring and had they doubled their lead through a penalty which was not awarded, they could have indeed got one over a highly-fancied Pirates outfit. Chiefs lost 2-1 to Pirates in the first of two Soweto Derbies in the space of a week, in a result that was widely expected. Kaizer Chiefs winger Gaston Sirino said his side will take the lessons of their loss to Orlando Pirates over the weekend in the Betway Premiership , when the two sides face-off in the Nedbank Cup final in Durban on Saturday. Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates: A Battle of Form, Trophies, and Bragging Rights Chiefs are currently ninth on the league table, while Pirates are second. The gulf in class is also apparent at the moment, as Pirates have four cup wins and two runner-up finishes since 2022 under outgoing coach José Riveiro. Chiefs, in contrast, have not won a single trophy since they were last league champions in the 2014/2015 season. "Sometimes we play well but don't win, but the final will be a different a once-off and we know we need to win,' said Sirino. 'Even on Saturday, we played better than Pirates but we lost [after they had scored first], so this time around we need to push more and make sure we control the game better. Sometimes we score and relax, so we need to do away with that.' Sirino, who won nine trophies with Mamelodi Sundowns in six years with the club before joining Chiefs last year, noted the challenges the Amakhosi have faced. "I think here [at Chiefs] there's no...[depth]. At Sundowns, there are too many players, all good players... here, there's one injury and another player is also injured and the team is short," Sirino said. @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
IOL News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
A win will be vital for Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs for different reasons
FAITHFUL SUPPORT: Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs face off in a crucial Soweto Derby at FNB Stadium, with Pirates aiming to revive their title hopes and Chiefs fighting for a top-eight finish in the Betway Premiership. Picture: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers A win for either side will have vastly different implications, as Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates gear up for the first of two Soweto Derbies in the space of seven days when the sides meet on Saturday at the FNB Stadium. Kick-off in the highly anticipated Betway Premiership clash is at 3 p.m. Though Pirates suffered a heavy blow to their title aspirations in midweek with their shock 1-0 loss to Sekhukhune United, they will still be desperately hoping to keep the pressure on the table-topping Mamelodi Sundowns. Pirates are now 12 points behind Sundowns, and even though they have two games in hand, it's difficult to imagine they could reel in the champions with nine fixtures left in their campaign.
IOL News
01-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Nasreddine Nabi: ‘Little bit ill' Kaizer Chiefs can stand up against Orlando Pirates
Nasreddine Nabi Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi wants fans to trust the process. Photo: ITUMELENG ENGLISH Independent Media Image: ITUMELENG ENGLISH Independent Media Kaizer Chiefs will be under immense pressure to deliver what may be their most pivotal result of an up-and-down season when they host arch-rivals Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off). Amakhosi are in danger of finishing outside the top eight for a second consecutive season, currently sitting ninth with 30 points – level with Chippa United, who still have a game in hand over the Soweto side. This will be the first of two Soweto Derbies between the sides, with a high-stakes Nedbank Cup final set for exactly a week after their league clash at Moses Mabhida Stadium – where more than just pride will be on the line, as both clubs are in desperate need of victories in both encounters. Next Kaizer Chiefs Match! 🏆#BetwayPrem ⚽️Kaizer Chiefs vs. Orlando Pirates 👕First Team 🗓️Saturday 03 May 2025 🏟FNB Stadium 🕞 15h00 📺SuperSport 202, SABC 1 🎟SOLD OUT🚫 🚗Toyota Zone 🚌 Park and Ride 🚍Rea Vaya 📢Please come early!#Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome #SowetoDerby — Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) April 29, 2025 Nasreddine Nabi and his charges suffered a 1-0 loss against the Buccaneers in the reverse fixture through a classy panenka by Patrick Maswanganyi, and heading into this contest, the Chiefs coach expects another tough encounter. 'The first derby was a good, entertaining game, which was decided on a small detail in the last minute,' the Tunisian said during a pre-match press conference in Johannesburg on Thursday. 'But we believe that we deserved better from that game through our performance. 'Saturday's game will be just like any other derby. It's going to be a very tough game, but the possibilities will be open for both teams. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'The Soweto derby is more than football; it has a lot that is beyond football and it's a way of life in South Africa. 'We need to protect it and protect its legacy, as it's as big as any other derby all over the continent and internationally.' Heading into what will be a crucial match in their league season, Amakhosi have struggled to maintain any sort of consistency throughout their season. Their 2-1 win against Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals was impressive. But a couple of matches after that, they were humbled by a well-oiled Marumo Gallants side at the FNB Stadium, leaving their place in the top eight in jeopardy. The Chiefs mentor believes his side are still capable of getting a result against a wounded, but dangerous Pirates side coached by Jose Riveiro. 'If we win the derby, it will not be a surprise. If Pirates win it, it will also not be any surprises,' Nabi said. 'Despite our current log standing, we believe that two big clubs are going to play on Saturday. 'Even though we are not in a good position, we feel that whoever wins deserves it.
