Orlando Pirates moved into second in the DStv Premiership after completing their first Soweto Derby double in 15 years with a 3-2 win over Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Chiefs raced into an early lead through the much-maligned Ashley du Preez, who came into the game under severe fan pressure after a couple of subdued displays in 2024.
He caught Tapelo Xoki and debutant Thabiso Lebitso napping to smash the ball past Sipho Chaine as early as the fifth minute.
Monnapule Saleng leveled matters shortly after Yusuf Maart’s terrible lunge which could of and should have resulted in a straight red which fired up both side’s intensity.
The rest of the half proved to be a thrilling end-to-end affair with the pace of both sides causing havoc for both defences.
And on the brink of half time, Du Preez capitalised on another defensive lapse of concentration to put Amakhosi back into the lead, much to the dismay of the proverbial home fans at the Calabash.
In the second half, it was all Pirates in the first 20 minutes and they duly found the equaliser with debutant Thabiso Lebitso scoring a stunner from range which went on from the underside of Bruce Bvuma’s crossbar.
But it wasn’t the end of the drama, as Saleng put the Buccaneers ahead for the first time in the game after 68 minutes, sneaking ahead of Bvuma and lifting the ball into the back of the net.
It proved to be the winner on the afternoon, in the first derby in almost a decade that has produced five goals or more – as Pirates moved into second place, with 33 points from 20 games, while Amakhosi remain in sixth place.
