Victory for Kaizer Chiefs against Orlando Pirates on Saturday, 25 February, eased pressure on the former team’s coach, Arthur Zwane, keeping Amakhosi in the hunt for second spot on the Premiership table.

Kaizer Chiefs edged Orlando Pirates 1-0 for the second time this season to complete a second league double on the trot against their bitter rivals.

The biggest match on the South African soccer calendar was far from a memorable spectacle, with the two teams recording a total of four shots on target. The match was a cagey and drab affair.

It took a hopeful and searching diagonal ball by player of the match Edmilson Dove to force an own goal off the head of Pirates’ second-half substitute Olisa Ndah.

Yusuf Maart of Kaizer Chiefs and Tapelo Xoki of Orlando Pirates in action at FNB Stadium on 25 February 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo: Lefty Shivambu / Gallo Images)

With just one minute left to play of the regulation 90 minutes, the Nigerian defender flicked the ball over Buccaneers goalkeeper Sipho Chaine, who had come off his line in an attempt to intercept the long pass.

That sequence of miscommunication compounded the Bucs’ misery in front of a crowd of just more than 78,000 at the FNB Stadium in the south of Johannesburg. They had already been playing with 10 men after captain Innocent Maela was sent off at the one-hour mark.

Coach Zwane safe – for now

The narrow win for Amakhosi will have eased the mounting pressure on the Naturena-based side’s coach, Zwane.

There have been calls from sections of Chiefs’ fanbase for the former Amakhosi and Bafana Bafana midfielder to vacate his seat. These murmurs had amplified in recent weeks, with the Glamour Boys claiming just one win from their five league matches preceding the derby.

In that period they suffered three defeats and played to one draw. In spite of that not-so-favourable return, the Chiefs’ hierarchy threw its weight behind Zwane and offered the public reassurance that he was still their man as they sought to end an eight-year trophy drought.

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Zwane – who played more than 150 games for Amakhosi in the early to late 2000s, collecting numerous trophies along the way – was appointed as the club’s head coach in May 2022.

He was tasked with bringing back a culture of winning to the team and reigniting the fighting spirit of one of the most successful clubs in Africa.

Zwane still believes he is the right man for the job, and that eventually the seeds he is planting and tending to will reap the desired fruit.    

“I’ve said it in the past that the club has a plan. We know when you start something there’ll be a rough patch because you are trying to lay a strong foundation,” Zwane told journalists after the match.

Chiefs have Pirates’ number

Amakhosi may be extremely inconsistent as they continue trying to bounce back to their former glory. But one thing that has remained consistent in recent seasons is beating their Soweto neighbours.

The 1-0 win on Saturday was the fifth in a row for Chiefs in this league fixture. This is even though Sea Robbers headed into the tie as the in-form side, having claimed four wins from their five most recent matches.

Zwane downplayed Chiefs’ impressive streak over their nemesis, saying it was just another fixture that they aimed to do well in, which was the target in every match they played.

“It’s just another six points for us. I don’t want the players to only focus on beating Orlando Pirates. We want to beat every team that we come across because the league is a marathon, it’s not just winning against Pirates. But the win is important for us as a club, knowing our history with them,” Zwane told journalists.

Race for second is on

With these three points, Chiefs kept themselves firmly in the race for second place and clinching the final Caf Champions League spot – with Mamelodi Sundowns sprinting to the Premiership title and the primary continental football spot.

Gavin Hunt’s SuperSport occupy second spot with 36 points. They strengthened their position by beating the relegation-threatened Maritzburg United 2-0 on Friday.

With defeat in the derby, third-placed Pirates now trail Hunt’s men by five points. Level with them on 31 points are fourth-placed Richards Bay and Amakhosi in fifth. The Sea Robbers lead the duo due to a marginally superior goal difference.

With nine games left to play this campaign, the scramble for second spot is on.  

“We are thinking week by week. We just need to prepare for the next game. That’s all,” said Pirates’ assistant coach Sergio Almenara when asked about the sprint for second.

Chiefs are next in action again on Saturday, 4 March, in a crucial clash against Richards Bay in the tight pursuit for second place. The Buccaneers will tussle with Swallows on Friday, 3 March. DM