Kaizer Chiefs head coach, Nasreddine Nabi told the assembled media on Thursday that the feeling within Amakhosi camp is one of quiet confidence ahead of the second Betway Premiership Soweto Derby of the 2024/25 season against Orlando Pirates. The two teams meet again seven days later in the Nedbank Cup final, but all attention is currently focused on Saturday afternoon’s league encounter.

On learning from experience of the Soweto Derby:

The first Derby we played was a good, entertaining game which was decided by a small detail in the last minute. We believe we deserved better in that game. We are expecting a very tough Derby again on Saturday, although we know more about how to approach the Derby than we did in the first one. There are possibilities open for both teams to win.

On handling the pressure of coming off a defeat in their last match:

Notwithstanding that result, we believe we will be ready for what we are facing on Saturday. Even though we are not in the position we want to be, we know what this fixture means and how important it is to win it. Great clubs may get ’ill’ but they never ‘die’, and we believe we are the biggest club in South Africa -probably at this time we might be a little bit ‘ill’ now but we are still alive and we believe we can still do something.

Impressions of the Soweto Derby:

What I learned is that the Soweto Derby is more than football. It affects the whole society. It transcends football. It is a cultural thing. It is a South African derby, an African derby , an international derby. It ranks among the great derbies of world football.

On the preparation for Saturday:

There is a different mood within the camp to what has been before. With two Derbies to play, including a Final, the team, the coaches, everybody is in a positive frame of mind because we know how big these games are and we are up for them.

The match at FNB stadium kicks off at 15:00 on Saturday, 3 May. Tickets are sold out.