Soweto derby

The Soweto Derby is a football rivalry between Premiership teams Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates in South Africa. It was first contested on 24 January 1970.^[1] Matches between the two rivals attract a large fanbase. The rivalry is recognised as one of the biggest derbies in Africa.

Soweto Derby

An Orlando Pirates fan and a Kaizer Chiefs fan before the Soweto derby.
Other names	"El Kasico"
Location	Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa
Teams	Kaizer Chiefs Orlando Pirates
First meeting	Orlando Pirates 1–0 Kaizer Chiefs (24 January 1970)
Latest meeting	Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 Orlando Pirates (10 May 2025) Nedbank Cup
Next meeting	TBA
Stadiums	FNB Stadium (Chiefs) Orlando Stadium (Pirates)
Statistics
Meetings total	106
Most wins	Orlando Pirates (50)
Most player appearances	Happy Jele (33)
Top scorer	Patrick Ntsoelengoe (19)
All-time series	Chiefs: 37 Draw: 19 Pirates: 50
Largest victory	Pirates 5–1 Chiefs (1998)
Current win streak	Kaizer Chief 6 - 3 Orlando Pirates

The Soweto Derby is different to the Original Soweto Derby, which is contested between Pirates and Moroka Swallows.^[2]

Based in Soweto, Johannesburg, the rivalry stems from the fact that Kaizer Chiefs was formed by a former Orlando Pirates star Kaizer Motaung. Motaung had left Orlando Pirates to go play professional soccer in the now defunct North American Soccer League for a team called the Atlanta Chiefs. Upon returning home, he found a lot of infighting among the hierarchy at Pirates. He decided to form a Kaizer XI, which initially played friendly matches with various clubs in South Africa and then this entity evolved to the Kaizer Chiefs.^[3]

Overall record

Team	League	Nedbank Cup	Telkom bvbCup	MTN 8	Total
Fixtures	53	17	5	10	85
Kaizer Chiefs	20	8	1	2	28
Orlando Pirates	12	6	1	6	25
Draw	24	3	3		32

Win percentage(%)

Teams	League	Cup	Total percentage(%)
Kaizer Chiefs	52.08%	34.34%	32.94%
Orlando Pirates	22.64%	40.62%	29.41%

All-time results

League

		Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates				Orlando Pirates vs Kaizer Chiefs
Season	Division	Date	Venue	Score	Attendance	Date	Venue	Score	Attendance
1996–97	Premiership	18 January 1997	FNB Stadium	0–1		10 May 1997	Orlando Stadium	1–1
1997–98	Premiership	22 November 1997		1–1		7 March 1998		5–1
1998–99	Premiership	9 October 1998		2–2		13 February 1999		1–2
1999–2000	Premiership	13 June 2000		2–2		20 November 1999		1-0
2000–01	Premiership	9 June 2001		1–0		29 November 2000		1–1
2001–02	Premiership	15 December 2001		0–3		4 May 2002	Orlando Stadium	1–1
2002–03	Premiership	14 March 2003		2–0		7 December 2002		1–1
2003–04	Premiership	13 December 2003		1–0		1 May 2004		1–0
2004–05	Premiership	29 April 2005		1–1		29 October 2004		2–1
2005–06	Premiership	28 October 2005		2–0		9 May 2006		0–1
2006–07	Premiership	9 December 2006		1–1	80,000	28 April 2007	Orlando Stadium	1–1	6,000
2007–08	Premiership	10 May 2008		1–0	50,000	24 November 2007	Kings Park Stadium	2–2	50,000
2008–09	Premiership	15 November 2008		0–2	60,000	2 May 2009	Orlando Stadium	2–1	62,000
2009–10	Premiership	31 October 2009	Loftus Versfeld Stadium	0–0	40,000	20 February 2010		0–0	14,000
2010–11	Premiership	26 February 2011	FNB Stadium	1–1	92,515	13 November 2010	FNB Stadium	1–3	74,875
2011–12	Premiership	17 September 2011		2–0	25,000	17 March 2012		3–2	87,171
2012–13	Premiership	8 December 2012		0–0	84,000	9 March 2013		0–0	80,000
2013–14	Premiership	26 October 2013		1–1	80,000	15 March 2014		0–1	90,000
2014–15	Premiership	7 March 2015		0–0	88,000	6 December 2014		0–2	71,282
2015–16	Premiership	31 October 2015		1–3	90,000	30 January 2016	FNB Stadium	1–1	60,000
2016–17	Premiership	29 October 2016		0–0	60,000	4 March 2017		1–1	55,000
2017–18	Premiership	21 October 2017		0–0	75,000	3 March 2018		3–1	86,314
2018–19	Premiership	9 February 2019		1–1	86,000	27 October 2018		2–1	82,000
2019–20	Premiership	9 November 2019		3–2	88,000	29 February 2020		0–1	80,808
2020–21	Premiership	21 March 2021		1–0	0	30 January 2021	Orlando Stadium	2–1	0
2021-22	Premiership	6 November 2021		2-1	0	5 March 2022		1-2	0
2022-23	Premiership	25 February 2023		1-0	90,000	29 October 2022	FNB Stadium	0-1	90,000
2023-24	Premiership	11 November 2023		0-1	90,000	9 March 2024		3-2	86,764
2024-25	Premiership	3 May 2025		1-2	90,000	1 February 2025		1-0	90,000
2025-26	Premiership	28 February 2026				25 April 2026

Cup results

Season	Competition	Round	Date	Stadium	Home team	Result	Away team	Attendance	Notes
1970–71	Life Challenge Cup	Final	?	FNB Stadium	Orlando Pirates	2–2 (aet)	Kaizer Chiefs		Kaizer Chiefs won 2–1 after replay
		Final replay	?	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	2–1	Orlando Pirates
1971–72	MTN 8	Final	?	FNB Stadium	Orlando Pirates	10–1 (aet)	Kaizer Chiefs
1974–75	Life Challenge Cup	Final	?	FNB Stadium	Orlando Pirates	3–2	Kaizer Chiefs
	Life Challenge Cup	Final 1st leg	?	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	4–1	Orlando Pirates		Kaizer Chiefs won 6–2 on aggregate
		Final 2 ng leg	?	FNB Stadium	Orlando Pirates	1–2	Kaizer Chiefs
1975–76	Benson & Hedges Cup	Final	?	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	1–0	Orlando Pirates
1976–77	Benson & Hedges Cup	Final	?	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	1–0	Orlando Pirates
1980–81	Nedbank Cup	Final	?	FNB Stadium	Orlando Pirates	1–1 (aet)	Kaizer Chiefs		Kaizer Chiefs won 3 – 1 after replay
		Final replay	?	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	3–1	Orlando Pirates
1983–84	Nedbank Cup	Final	?	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	1–0	Orlando Pirates
1987–88	Bob Save Super Bowl	Final	?	FNB Stadium	Orlando Pirates	1–0	Kaizer Chiefs
1996	Bob Save Super Bowl	Semi-final	2 November 1996[4]	?	Orlando Pirates	4–1	Kaizer Chiefs
1997–98	Bob Save Super Bowl	2nd round	27 March 1998	?	Kaizer Chiefs	0–1	Orlando Pirates
1998–99	Bob Save Super Bowl	Semi-final 1st leg	31 October 1998	?	Kaizer Chiefs	3–1	Orlando Pirates		Kaizer Chiefs won 3–2 on aggregate
		Semi-final 2nd leg	14 November 1998	?	Orlando Pirates	1–0	Kaizer Chiefs
2001–02	MTN 8	Semi-final	25 August 2001	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	1–0	Orlando Pirates
2005–06	ABSA Cup	Final	19 May 2006	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs *	0–0	Orlando Pirates		Kaizer Chiefs won 5–3 on penalties
2009–10	Telkom Knockout	Semi-final	5 April 2010	FNB Stadium	Orlando Pirates *	0–0	Kaizer Chiefs		Kaizer Chiefs won 3–0 on penalties
2010–11	MTN 8	Semi-final 1st leg	11 September 2010	FNB Stadium	Orlando Pirates	1–1	Kaizer Chiefs	75,000	Orlando Pirates won 2–1 on aggregate
		Semi-final 2nd leg	26 September 2010	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	0–1	Orlando Pirates	69,760
	Telkom Knockout	Final	4 December 2010	FNB Stadium	Orlando Pirates *	0–3	Kaizer Chiefs	90,000
2012–12	MTN 8	Final	10 September 2011	FNB Stadium	Orlando Pirates *	1–0 (aet)	Kaizer Chiefs	84,000
2012–13	MTN 8	Semi-final 1st leg	24 August 2013	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	0–1	Orlando Pirates	83,000	Orlando Pirates won 2–1 on aggregate
		Semi-final 2nd leg	24 September 2013	Orlando Stadium	Orlando Pirates	1–1	Kaizer Chiefs	40,000
2014–15	MTN 8	Final	20 September 2014	Moses Mabhida Stadium	Orlando Pirates *	0–1	Kaizer Chiefs	50,000
2015–16	Telkom Knockout	Semi-final	7 November 2015	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	0–0	Orlando Pirates		Kaizer Chiefs won 6–5 on penalties
2015–16	Nedbank Cup	Round 32	5 March 2016	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	0–2	Orlando Pirates	90,000
2018–19	Telkom Knockout	Semi-final	24 November 2018	Moses Mabhida Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	1–2	Orlando Pirates
2019–20	Telkom Knockout	Semi-final	24 November 2018	Moses Mabhida Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	2–2	Orlando Pirates		Kaizer Chiefs won 4–2 on penalties
2020–21	2020 MTN 8	Semi-final 1st leg	31 October 2020	Orlando Stadium	Orlando Pirates	3–0	Kaizer Chiefs	0	Orlando Pirates won 5–0 on aggregate
		Semi-final 2nd leg	8 November 2020	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	0–2	Orlando Pirates	0
2022–23	Nedbank Cup	Semi-final	6 May 2023	FNB Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	1–2	Orlando Pirates	90,000
2024-25	Nedbank Cup	Final	10 May 2025	Moses Mabhida Stadium	Kaizer Chiefs	2-1	Orlando Pirates	57,000

* Played as a neutral game with one side designated as the 'home team'.

Honours

Orlando Pirates	Competition	Kaizer Chiefs
Domestic
4	South African Premiership (1996 - present)	4
10	Nedbank Cup	14
13	MTN 8	15
1	Telkom Knockout	13
1	National Soccer League (South Africa) (1985 to 1996)	3
4	National Professional Soccer League (South Africa) (1971 to 1984)	5
33	Aggregate	53
Continental
1	CAF Champions League	0
0	African Cup Winners' Cup (defunct)	1
1	CAF Super Cup	0
2	Aggregate	1
35	Total aggregate	54

Head-to-head ranking in the South African Premiership (1996–present)

Pos.	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
1					1		1	1	1						1	1	1		1
2	2	2	2	2	2				2	2			2					2				2	2	2			2	2
3	3	3	3	3		3				3			3	3	3		3					3		3	3
4																		4	4		4
5								5			5			5		5				5						5	5
6							6					6														6
7																				7
8												8													8
9						9					9												9
10																												10
11																					11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

• Total: Kaizer Chiefs with 14 higher finishes, Orlando Pirates with 14 higher finishes (as of the end of the 2023–24 season).
• The biggest difference in positions for Kaizer Chiefs from Orlando Pirates is 7 places (2016–17season), The biggest difference in positions for Orlando Pirates from Kaizer Chiefs is 8 places (2023–24 season).