Chiefs desperate to end drought; Pirates chase historic achievement

by Graeme Jackson

Friday May 09, 2025. 15:00

Kaizer Chiefs will be desperate to end their trophy drought, while Orlando Pirates will chase a historic achievement, when the Soweto derby rivals meet in the Nedbank Cup final, set for the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on the afternoon of Saturday 10 May 2025.

Pirates defeated Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 at the FNB Stadium in last weekend’s Premiership clash, to complete a league ‘double’ and continue their dominance over the gold half of Soweto (the Buccaneers have won their last five successive matches against the Amakhosi).

And a repeat performance on Saturday in Durban would see Jose Riveiro’s side win the Nedbank Cup for a third successive season. This would match Pirates’ record of back-to-back-to-back National Cup title wins set 50 years ago when they won the 1973, 1974 and 1975 editions of the tournament, known as the Life Challenge Cup at the time.

“Right now, this one matters and the next one – the others [from the past] are a memory, so we continue, we are in sport and we continue evolving in the sport, we want to do more,” said Pirates coach Jose Riveiro.

“The record itself doesn’t matter, but it matters that we’re not just happy going to a final, being there for a party and fireworks – it’s nice to be there, but when it’s time to go, we go with the intention to be competitive, try to be better than the opponent and [win].”

The Buccaneers have won the Nedbank Cup 10 times overall, and earned their shot at an 11th triumph thanks to wins over Richards Bay (3-1 away), Baroka FC (3-1 home), SuperSport United (on penalties after a 2-2 draw away) and Marumo Gallants (1-0 home).

They also come into the match on the back of successive league wins, following up their 2-1 victory over Chiefs with a triumph by the same score line over Golden Arrows at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Chiefs, meanwhile, are the most successful club in Nedbank Cup history, winning the tournament 13 times. However, their last triumph was in 2013 and they come into the final desperate to break a trophy drought which stretches back a decade: their last piece of silverware was the Premiership title in 2014-15, when Stuart Baxter was still in his first tenure at the club.

And manager Nasreddine Nabi’s future at the club may depend on the outcome of this final. Chiefs’ underwhelming league campaign (they are struggling to finish in the top half of the table) has put major pressure on the Tunisian tactician, but ending the trophy drought may be enough to buy him a second season in charge at Naturena.

“Trust me when I say the players know about the responsibility and this chance. Trust me. I’m 100 percent convinced about that, but we don’t need to put excessive pressure on the players because if you reach the red line of pressure, the result is negative,” said Nabi in regards to the weight of trying to end a 10-year drought.

“You need to find the balance. But trust me, the players want this, particularly after losing the derby. The season has not been easy for them, but I have observed the desire, aggressiveness, and all this here at training. It is even going to be difficult to choose the team to start because all players want to give 200 percent.”

The Amakhosi earned their place in the final with wins over Free Agents (4-0 home), Chippa United (3-0 home), Stellenbosch FC (3-1 away) and Mamelodi Sundowns (2-1 away). However, they come into the clash on the back of three winless matches, with a 0-0 draw against Chippa United followed by home losses to Marumo Gallants and Pirates.

In head-to-head terms, Chiefs and Pirates have met in 29 cup matches since 1987, with the Buccaneers claiming 12 wins compared to nine for the Amakhosi, while eight games have been drawn.

The teams’ most recent cup meeting was in the semifinals of the 2022-23 Nedbank Cup, with Pirates winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Kermit Erasmus and Sandile Mthethwa, while their last meeting in the National Cup final was in 2005-06 (when it was known as the Absa Cup), with Chiefs triumphing on penalties after a 0-0 draw.