ENGLISH
MATSAPHA —The rush is on.
Less than two hours after Orlando Pirates confirmed tickets were live on their official website today, on October 14, supporters were scrambling to secure their seats for the most storied fixture in South African football.
The Soweto Derby is back. On Saturday, October 31, the ‘Buccaneers’ host bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs at the cauldron of FNB Stadium.
As per the norm, emaSwati will be there in numbers. Local Facebook and WhatsApp pages were buzzing by lunchtime, advertising buses to Johannesburg as the countdown begins.
‘Buccaneers’ have kept pricing accessible. Tickets start from just E40 for children, with adult tickets from E140 and with demand soaring, a sell-out is already on the cards.
As ever, the build-up is pure theatre. Even legends are wading in.
Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder and current Eswatini elite league side Celtics Head Coach Humphrey Mlwane has urged Amakhosi to stick with Renaldo Leaner for the derby, warning that rushing back experienced Captain Brandon Petersen could backfire.
Petersen has been sidelined since sustaining a left-knee medial collateral ligament injury in training last month. The medical team initially set a six-week recovery window, leaving a dramatic late return for October 31 just possible.
Chiefs have bigger headaches. The ‘Glamour Boys’ failed to beat Pirates home or away last season and could be without two key men. Thabo Moloisane and Inacio Miguel are both walking a disciplinary tightrope, one booking away from suspension. Amakhosi played a 1-all draw against Stellenbosch on Tuesday night.
Pirates are hardly clear either. Kamogelo Sebelebele, Mthetheleli Mthiyane and Simphiwe Masilela are all perched on two yellow cards, according to Afrik-Foot ZA.
There was some relief on Tuesday. Mthiyane and Masilela both featured in the 3-0 rout of TS Galaxy and came through unscathed, while the injured Sebelebele was spared the risk entirely.