Soweto Derby 'more than football' says Kaizer Chiefs' Nasreddine Nabi
- Dennis Kegengo
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Photo Credit - Kaizer Chiefs Media.
Nasreddine Nabi said the Soweto Derby "ranks among the great derbies of world football" as he assured Kaizer Chiefs supporters that the mood in the camp is positive as they face Orlando Pirates in the Betway Premiership at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Chiefs are on a three-game losing run against Pirates, and will be looking to turn that around and record their 46th league victory over them. Before losing their last three league derbies, Amakhosi had won five in succession, a record in the PSL era.
With the derby bragging rights being at stake, a lot is riding on this game. Chiefs have the chance to have a major say in their rivals’ bid to catch Mamelodi Sundowns in the league title race. Pirates’ quest for glory in the league suffered a blow following their 1-0 defeat against Sekhukhune United at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday.
Speaking about his experience of the Soweto derby, Nabi explained: “The first Derby we played was a good, entertaining game which was decided by a small detail in the last minute. We believe we deserved better in that game. We are expecting a very tough Derby again on Saturday, although we know more about how to approach the Derby than we did in the first one. There are possibilities open for both teams to win.”
On how he will handle the pressure with the team coming from a stunning defeat against Marumo Gallants in their own backyard, Nabi said: “We believe we will be ready for what we will face on Saturday. Even though we are not in the position we want to be, we know what this fixture means and how important it is to win it.
“Great clubs may get ’ill’ but they never ‘die’, and we believe we are the biggest club in South Africa [...] We might be a little bit ‘ill’ now, but we are still alive and we believe we can still do something.”
He concluded: “What I've learned is that the Soweto Derby is more than football. It affects the whole society. It transcends football. It is a cultural thing. It is a South African derby, an African derby, an international derby. It ranks among the great derbies of world football.
“There is a different mood within the camp than before. With two Derbies to play, including a final, the team, the coaches, everybody is in a positive frame of mind because we know how big these games are and we are up for them.”
This will be the 58th derby league meeting between the teams since 1996/97. In the clubs' previous 57 league clashes since the start of the PSL era, Chiefs have won 18, while Pirates have managed 15, and 24 have ended all square.
