Soweto Derby legend predicts who will win Premier Soccer League high-stakes encounter between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates

On Sunday, April 26, 2026, one of the biggest derbies in Africa will take place as Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs are set to clash in the Soweto Derby at the FNB Stadium.

Pirates would want a win in order to keep their Premier Soccer League title dream much alive. Chiefs, on the other hand, want the victory in order to end their rivals' dominance in this fixture and consequently boost their top-three finish.

Mamelodi Sundowns and their fans will also follow the proceedings in Soweto keenly because a win for the Glamour Boys will hand them a huge favour in the title race against Bucs.

Soweto derby legend Gavin Lane believes the Sea Robbers will emerge victorious, but not with a huge margin as was witnessed in the first round, a 3-0 win for Pirates.

"Another big derby coming up. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but the derby always brings good memories, and it will be the same with this one," Lane told KickOff.

"Chiefs have a few wins, and Pirates are playing extremely well. Whoever takes his chances on the day will win. Chiefs will be aware of Pirates’ midfielders, and each player will be tight on their man at all times. Hopefully not too tight, because I want Pirates to score."

"It's the first time any team has been close to [Mamelodi] Sundowns coming into the last stretch of the league [season]. Sundowns usually win [the title] with five games to go. I hope Pirates get the win this time," the former Moroka Swallows defender continued.

Former PSL coach Mlungisi Ngubane has assessed Amakhosi and said the Naturena heavyweights lack consistency and might not be ready for the derby.

"For example, Pirates showed they wanted to beat AmaZulu. They knew AmaZulu were a tough opponent, so they stepped up their game. That's what Chiefs should have done against Polokwane City," Ngubane stated.

"They drew because their play was not on the level of their last five matches. They didn't play as they did against Magesi. Against Polokwane City, it was like they were just going through the motions," he added.

"Against Magesi, Chiefs were determined to win at all costs, but against Polokwane, they lacked that drive. There was nothing exceptional from Chiefs. It's a psychological issue – they can't handle pressure."

As their readiness is questioned, Ben Youssef is adamant that the Glamour Boys will be more lethal this time around, unlike how they performed in the first-round showdown.

"Now, there’s a big difference between the first and second derby. Every team has been performing well in the last six or seven games. We are coming from six games – five wins and one draw," the coach said.

"We were unlucky that we had a lot of injuries. The difficult thing about a job is that when you have injuries, you have to make substitutions, and you don’t have consistency.

"Now, in the last five or six games, it’s been relatively the same squad. When the consistency is there, the performance and the results are there. Unfortunately, we missed a lot of chances and points. The performance was good, but we didn’t score. But we found balance in the last two games."