Somewhere in Soweto a jersey is being ironed with more care than a wedding shirt. Somewhere else a Chiefs supporter is explaining, for the third time this week, why this is the year. And in every family WhatsApp group in the country, nobody needs reminding of the kick-off time. This is our Soweto Derby preview: Pirates, Chiefs, the log, the words from Thursday’s press conference and everything you need before 15:30 on Saturday.
Here is what makes this one different. Neither side has lost a league game this season. Orlando Pirates have won seven of their eight and drawn the other. Kaizer Chiefs have won three and drawn five. On Saturday afternoon one of those records may go, and the top of the Premiership will feel it.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Fixture | Orlando Pirates v Kaizer Chiefs, Betway Premiership |
| When | Saturday 31 October 2026, 15:30 SAST |
| Where | FNB Stadium, Johannesburg |
| Home side | Orlando Pirates, on the PSL’s fixture list |
| Tickets | Sold out, Kaizer Chiefs confirm; none on sale at the stadium |
| On TV | SuperSport PSL, DStv channel 202 (ESPN) |
| The log | Pirates 2nd, 22 points from 8; Chiefs 5th, 14 points from 8 |
| Coaches | Abdeslam Ouaddou (Pirates), Fernando Da Cruz (Chiefs) |
Soweto Derby preview: Pirates, Chiefs and the log
The PSL’s log this morning has Mamelodi Sundowns on top with 23 points from nine games. Pirates are one point behind with a game in hand: 22 from eight. AmaZulu are third on 19, Milford fourth on 15, and Chiefs fifth on 14, level on points with Sekhukhune United.
That makes the arithmetic simple and a little cruel. A Pirates win takes them to 25 points and above Sundowns, at least until Sundowns host Durban City in Rustenburg at 20:15 the same evening. A Chiefs win cuts an eight-point gap to five and pulls Amakhosi back into the conversation at the top. A draw keeps both unbeaten, and keeps all the questions.
For Chiefs, the question is the draws. Five of their eight league games have finished level. Unbeaten is good. Unbeaten on 14 points is a side that keeps walking off with less than it came for.
Form: two 3-0 nights on Tuesday
Both clubs arrive with a clean sheet and three goals behind them. On Tuesday night in the knockout cup last 16, Pirates beat Milford 3-0 and Chiefs beat TS Galaxy 3-0, and both earned home quarter-finals.
Pirates had their tie wrapped up by half-time. Thapelo Mokobodi scored first and Tshepang Moremi added two before the break, the club’s own report shows. It continues a sharp answer to the 2-0 defeat by Sundowns in the MTN8 final in Durban on 10 October: ESPN counts four games unbeaten in all competitions since that night, with 11 goals scored and none conceded.
Chiefs had to be patient. The first half against Galaxy at FNB Stadium was goalless, then Wandile Duba scored three times after the restart, in the 48th, 62nd and 66th minutes. It was the kind of night Chiefs supporters had been waiting for while the draws piled up. Their season has a sore spot in Africa too: Red Arrows of Zambia knocked them out of the Confederation Cup on penalties.
What the coaches said
Thursday’s press conference at SuperSport’s studios in Randburg set the tone, and the two coaches arrived from very different places. Abdeslam Ouaddou is the champion: last season he led Pirates to their first league title in 14 years. Fernando Da Cruz joined Chiefs in July, and Saturday is his first Soweto Derby.
Ouaddou did not run from the favourites’ tag. He accepted it because Pirates are the champions, while warning that being favourites does not win a match on its own. “We need to have this positive arrogance,” he said. He was just as clear about the opposition: “Chiefs have a new coach, new energy, and new ideas, and they are doing a good job.” Last season’s derby record, he said, belongs to last season.
Da Cruz sounded like a coach who knows exactly where he has landed. “It’s the most important game in South Africa,” he said, adding that it divides the country. He called his squad confident but said they know it is a difficult game against a big team, and he took Tuesday’s result as fuel: “when you score three goals and don’t concede, you’ve got a lot of confidence.” Then came the line every Chiefs supporter will appreciate: “But we always want to improve the team, even when we win.” He also congratulated Ouaddou on his work at Pirates.
Our view: positive arrogance is a fine thing to carry into a derby when you have not lost a league game all season. The catch for Pirates is that Chiefs have not lost one either.
Team news
Neither club had published a squad update or an injury list for the derby on its own channels when we checked on Friday morning, so the line-ups will be the first real clue.
What the clubs have said this week is encouraging for Chiefs. In their team announcement for Tuesday’s cup tie, Chiefs said they were welcoming back key players from injury. Brandon Petersen returned in goal after what the club called a lengthy absence, and he captained the side. Rushwin Dortley made his first appearance since 1 March 2025, by the club’s count, and Lebohang Maboe was back in midfield.
Pirates have published no injury news on their website this week, and we will not guess at any. Their cup side against Milford, from the club’s own match report, included both of Tuesday’s scorers, Mokobodi and Moremi.
Head-to-head: Ouaddou has not lost one yet
Under Ouaddou, Pirates have not lost a derby. Last season’s two league meetings ended 3-0 to Pirates and then 1-1, four points out of six. The Citizen counts three Pirates wins in the last five meetings. ESPN notes that Chiefs’ last league derby win came in February 2023, and that Pirates did the league double in both 2023/24 and 2024/25.
Chiefs do have one recent derby memory to hold on to: they beat Pirates in the 2025 Nedbank Cup final. It says something about the last few seasons that their most recent derby win came in a cup, not the league. For the longer story of the rivalry, see our guide to the Soweto Derby.
Key players
- Wandile Duba, Chiefs. A hat-trick on Tuesday, all of it after half-time. If Chiefs are going to turn draws into wins, they need a forward in exactly that mood.
- Tshepang Moremi, Pirates. Two goals before the break against Milford. He arrives in a derby already scoring.
- Brandon Petersen, Chiefs. Back in goal with the armband on Tuesday, and a clean sheet to show for it. Derbies are often settled by the save nobody expected.
- Thapelo Mokobodi, Pirates. Opened the scoring against Milford after a quarter of an hour.
What’s at stake
More than bragging rights, although nobody in Soweto will pretend those do not matter.
For Pirates, three points means top of the log on Saturday, at least for a few hours, and a statement before a crowded few weeks. They have a home knockout cup quarter-final against Sekhukhune United to come, and a CAF Champions League group with RS Berkane, Simba SC and Colombe Sportive that starts on the weekend of 27 November. Our CAF group-stage draw report has the full picture, and everything on the champions is on our Orlando Pirates page.
For Chiefs, it is the chance to turn “unbeaten” into “contenders”. A win cuts the gap to Pirates to five points and would hand Da Cruz a derby win at the first attempt. They also have a home quarter-final against Siwelele to come, with the PSL still to confirm the dates. The club’s long story, and why this fixture sits at the heart of it, is in our history of Kaizer Chiefs.
How to watch
Kick-off is 15:30 SAST on Saturday 31 October at FNB Stadium. ESPN lists the match on SuperSport PSL, DStv channel 202.
If you do not have a ticket, do not go looking for one at the gate. Chiefs say the match is completely sold out, that there will be no ticket sales at the stadium, and that fans should beware of fake tickets. Ticket holders are urged to arrive early.
For the rest of the weekend, from the URC to the late Premiership games, see our weekend fixture guide.
Ouaddou wants arrogance. Da Cruz wants improvement even when his side wins. At 15:30 on Saturday, Soweto finds out which idea travels better.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Soweto Derby?
Orlando Pirates play Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday 31 October 2026, with kick-off at 15:30 SAST. The PSL’s fixture list has Pirates as the home side.
Where is the Soweto Derby being played?
At FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. The PSL and both clubs list the match there.
Where can I watch Pirates v Chiefs on TV?
ESPN lists the match on SuperSport PSL, DStv channel 202. Kick-off is 15:30 SAST.
Are there still tickets for the Soweto Derby?
No. Kaizer Chiefs say the match is completely sold out and that no tickets will be sold at the stadium. Be wary of anyone offering tickets now.
Where are Pirates and Chiefs on the log?
Pirates are second with 22 points from eight games, one point behind Mamelodi Sundowns, who have played nine. Chiefs are fifth with 14 points from eight. Neither side has lost a league game this season.