The Soweto Derby is the biggest fixture in South African sport. We look back at 10 of the best over the years   

24 January 1970 – Rogue Beer Cup third-place play-off 

Kaizer Chiefs (2) 4 (Jacob Masike, Pule Ntsoelengoe 2, Petros Nzimande)
Orlando Pirates (2) 6 (Percy Moloi, Petros Nzimande own goal, Remember Majoe 2, Bernard Hartze 2) 

The first ever meeting between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates took place in a year in which there was no structured league, but rather several smaller one- off competitions. The two sides met in the third-place play-off of an eight-team tournament sponsored by South African Breweries, with the prize money coming to R1 000. Pirates’ Teboho ‘Chippa’ Moloi got the first Derby goal before Chiefs’ Petros ‘Ten-Ten’ Nzimande then calamitously scored the second for Pirates with an own goal off his head. Chiefs fought back through the guile of ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe, but Pirates sealed it late.  

24 April 1971 – League 

Kaizer Chiefs (2) 4 (Herman Blaschke, Petros Nzimande 2, Thomas Johnson)
Orlando Pirates (3) 3 (Johnny Kekana, Hubert Leroke, Alfred Jacobs) 

The first league meeting between the two sides saw Chiefs stage a remarkable comeback after being three goals down, with their player-coach Thomas ‘Zero’ Johnson proving the hero of the day. Pirates stormed into a runaway lead but ‘Pelé’ Blaschke pulled one back and Petros Nzimande got another against his former club. Chiefs took control and the winner came dramatically with three minutes left via Johnson, who scored with a brilliant scissor kick.   

12 February 1972 – Champion of Champions final, second leg 

Orlando Pirates (2) 3 (David Fakude pen, Blessing Mgidi, Alfred Jacobs)
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 7 (Joseph Setlhodi pen, Herman Blaschke, Ariel Kgongoane, Michael Dlamini, Kaizer Motaung, Johnny Mokoena 2) 

An unbelievable comeback for the AmaKhosi after being two goals down at half time. Chiefs came back through a Joseph ‘Banks’ Setlhodi penalty and there were two more goals inside the next eight minutes as Blaschke headed home a bicycle-kick pass from ‘Bizzah’ Dlamini and then ‘Pro’ Kgongoane put them ahead. Alfred Jacobs forced the game into extra time, but Chiefs’ Johnny Mokoena set up Kaizer Motaung as Chiefs ran out as winners.  

6 July 1974 – League  

Kaizer Chiefs (3) 4 (Pule Ntsoelengoe, Shaka Ngcobo 2, Johnny Mokoena)
Orlando Pirates (0) 3 (Jomo Sono pen, MacDonald Skosana 2)  

Pirates staged a dramatic comeback in the second half of the game but came one goal short of affecting a remarkable turnaround after trailing 0–4. Chiefs stormed off to a bright start, taking the lead after only three minutes through Ntsoelengoe. Shaka Ngcobo (two) and Johnny Mokoena added further goals, but it was all Pirates in the second half as Sono converted a penalty and Skhosana struck twice. Pirates could not find the magical fourth goal.   

1 April 1975 – Chevrolet Champion of Champions semi-final  

Kaizer Chiefs (1) 2 (Patson Banda own goal, Shaka Ngcobo)
Orlando Pirates (2) 2 (Gerald Dlamini own goal, Elias Banda)  

It took penalties to find a winner, though the novelty of settling the result in this way saw both sides reluctant to take part in the shootout, which Chiefs won 4–2. Pirates led 2–1 at home at half-time, which included an own goal by Gerald Dlamini, who missed the target as he sought to pass back to goalkeeper Setlhodi. Bucs’ goalie Patson Banda took the blame for the two goals his club conceded, one of them a fumble into his own net.  

4 April 1971 – Champion of Champions final, second leg  

Orlando Pirates (0) 3 (Henry Khumalo 3, 1 pen)
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 1 (Peter Mokotedi)  

Second-half substitute Khumalo was given a hero’s reception at the end of the game after engineering a remarkable victory for Pirates, two goals down on aggregate before the was brought on. Chiefs were a goal up from the first leg and extended their aggregate lead when Mokotedi scored. Not even the most die-hard of Pirates’ fans would have then believed a comeback was possible but Khumalo, who had not exactly set Pirates alight since his move from Durban two years earlier, turned the result right around with a stunning hat-trick.  

10 June 1984 – JPS Knockout Cup quarterfinal  

Kaizer Chiefs (0) 3 (Moran Khulu, Trevor Mtimkulu, Nelson Dladla)
Orlando Pirates (0) 3 (Jeff Ntsibande, Nick Seshweni, Mandla Sithole)  

A match rated as one of the best ever in South African football ended in a stalemate. There should have been a penalty shootout to decide who progressed to the semi-finals, but the referee decided it was too dark in Orlando to take the kicks. Just two minutes from the end of extra time, Dladla had equalised for Chiefs but that was only a fraction of the drama. The game finished 2–2 at the end of 90 minutes, before both teams scored again in extra time.  

25 July 1992 – Coca-Cola Cup first round  

Kaizer Chiefs (0) 3 (Fani Madida 2, 1 pen, Albert Bwalya)
Orlando Pirates (1) 2 (Tsepo Ntsoane, David Nyathi)  

Chiefs came back from two goals down to win a thrilling game that ended with five goals. Ntsoane and Nyathi made it 2–0, but the game turned 12 minutes from the end when Bernard Lushozi handled in the box and referee Stan Swart awarded Chiefs a spot kick, from which Madida made no mistake. Bwalya got the equaliser, and in extra time Khuse set up Chiefs’ winner for Madida to finish.  

2 November 1996 – BoB Save Super Bowl semi-final  

Kaizer Chiefs (0) 1 (David Modise)
Orlando Pirates (2) 4 (Jerry Sikhosana 3, Helman Mkhalele)  

It was one of the best games all year but the Buccaneers could have had eight goals and gave Chiefs the same sort of run-around that the AmaKhosi were used to dishing out to other teams. Sikhosana scored what has proven to be the most recent hat-trick in the Soweto Derby.   

17 March 2012 – League  

Orlando Pirates (3) 3 (Benni McCarthy 2, Andile Jali)
Kaizer Chiefs (1) 2 (Siphiwe Tshabalala, Lehlohonolo Majoro)  

A blitz from Pirates in the opening 24 minutes looked to have sewn up the result but the champions ended up having to hold on to desperately for a vital three points in their bid
to defend their league title. Benni McCarthy – a confirmed Chiefs fan growing up – opened the scoring and later got another, either side of an Andile Jali goal. But Siphiwe Tshabalala reduced the deficit and Lehlohonolo Majoro set up a thrilling final 20 minutes when he converted from Bernard Parker’s corner.  

Words by: Nick Said
Images: Lefty Shivambu/Getty Images/Gallo Images