Orlando Pirates will seek revenge on Kaizer Chiefs for their Nedbank Cup final loss when they meet this month. Who can be their match winners? Ask Mazola Molefe.
READ: Kaizer Chiefs’ Derby Army
The Soweto Derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will usher in several debutants in this fixture for the Buccaneers, including coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, a former international who has experienced football at its peak but is yet to feel the heat of South Africa’s fiercest rivalry.
He will need an abundance of composure as he leads a group of new Pirates players into one of the country’s most demanding fixtures.
SoccerClub breaks down which Pirates players could deliver both the points and the bragging rights.
LEBONE SEEMA
Captain Nkosinathi Sibisi’s return to full fitness late last year reduced Seema’s minutes alongside Mbekezeli Mbokazi, but with Mbokazi now heading to the United States, the spotlight swings back onto the young defender. He must forge a renewed partnership with his skipper, a combination that will face immediate scrutiny in front of more than 80 000 fans demanding nothing less than victory. Seema has already shown he belongs at this level, but a commanding performance in the derby would mark a career-defining moment and offer undeniable validation.
SIPHO MBULE
Now here is a genuine matchwinner for the Buccaneers, a player who would have drawn months of anticipation ahead of his Soweto Derby debut. Mbule has grabbed this “second chance” with conviction, not only reigniting his club career but putting himself firmly in the frame for Bafana Bafana’s World Cup squad in the Americas. A natural crowdpleaser, he thrives on big stages. So, producing a bit of magic in a packed Soccer City should feel as effortless for “The Master Chef” as whipping up French toast in his own kitchen.
TSHEPANG MOREMI
At AmaZulu, the winger showed flashes of real promise but still needed guidance to unlock his full potential. That is precisely what Moremi has found at Pirates since arriving from Usuthu. He fits seamlessly into Ouaddou’s approach, which relies on quick, direct wide players who can get in behind defences and regularly chip in with goals. Moremi is poised to give the Chiefs back four a demanding afternoon.
SIHLE NDULI
The former Stellenbosch midfielder is, in many ways, one of Pirates’ most underrated contributors. The spotlight naturally gravitates towards the flair players, the goal scorers, and even the decisive interventions from goalkeeper Sipho Chaine. But the graft, the balance, the quiet protection that keeps the team’s structure intact often goes unnoticed. That is Nduli’s domain. It is the role he executed with precision in the Winelands, and one he has arguably elevated even further since pulling on a Pirates shirt this season.
OSWIN APPOLLIS
Another of Pirates’ marquee signings ahead of the 2025/26 season, Appollis arrived from Polokwane City as the club’s standout performer, and he has continued exactly where he left off. He has brought the same energy, directness and en eye for goal to the Soweto giants, emerging as a genuine talisman. His influence, alongside Moremi’s, has quietened the noise around Tshegofatso Mabasa’s limited minutes in this campaign. Appollis has the ability to change a game on his own, and that’s precisely what Pirates supporters will be hoping to witness in his Soweto Derby debut.
