While Kaizer Chiefs have a week to lick their wounds and plot their revenge after Saturday’s Soweto derby defeat, Orlando Pirates have to overcome Golden Arrows on Tuesday night to keep their faint league title hopes alive.
Image: Itumeleng English, Independent Newspapers
While Kaizer Chiefs have a week to lick their wounds and plot their revenge after Saturday’s Soweto derby defeat, Orlando Pirates have to overcome Golden Arrows on Tuesday night to keep their faint league title hopes alive.
Chiefs and Pirates will again go toe-to-toe this weekend, this time in the Nedbank Cup final. Pirates beat Chiefs 2-1 in a spirited Betway Premiership derby over the weekend in what was essentially a curtain raiser for Saturday’s cup final in Durban.
Chiefs will have a week to freshen up for what is going to be their biggest game of the season. They have no mid-week commitments and should be fresh for Saturday.
Amakhosi’s 2024/25 campaign has essentially died a slow death in the league and they are currently fighting for a place in the top half and participation in next season’s MTN8 competition.
But their season was suddenly resurrected following their remarkable Nedbank Cup semi-final win over Mamelodi Sundowns, giving them a chance to win their first piece of silverware since 2015 while also qualifying for next season’s CAF Confederation Cup.
Pirates, on the other hand, have a tricky mid-week fixture against Arrows. They are still playing catch-up in the league following their run to the CAF Champions League semi-finals.
The Buccaneers have basically been playing every three days over the last month, with every game a must-win affair in their pursuit of an unlikely domestic treble after winning the MTN8 title earlier in the season.
Pirates are 12 points behind Sundowns, but have played two games less than the defending champions. They believe they can still catch the league leaders, but Sundowns losing three of their remaining four matches this season seems highly unlikely.
Pirates put in a lot of energy into the derby win against Chiefs after a week they traveled to Egypt to take on Pyramids FC before coming home and losing to Sekhukhune United.
So, it’s going to be a big ask for the players to go again against Arrows on Tuesday, especially with the cup final at the back of their minds.
Chiefs showed against Sundowns in the semi-final that, on their day, they can be a dangerous proposition. Their strong finish in the match showed how ruthless they can be when the opposition drops off.
Sundowns have also played an enormous amount of football over the last few months. The defending league champions had some tough matches in Africa in the CAF Champions League before securing their place in the final.
Sundowns looked rather leggy in the final stages against Chiefs, making two uncharacteristic errors which ended up leading to both Amakhosi’s goals.
Chiefs will go into the Nedbank Cup final with bruised egos, but their legs will definitely be fresher than their Soweto rivals.
@JohnGoliath82
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