“Last week’s Derby defeat left a bitter taste,” laments captain Siphiwe ‘Shabba’ Tshabalala in reference to the 3-1 loss at the hands of their arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in an Absa Premiership fixture. Looking ahead to Saturday’s Telkom Knockout clash, he adds: “For us, it’s not about revenge. It is about playing good football and doing well for ourselves and the supporters.”

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will battle for a place in the Telkom Knockout final when they meet at FNB Stadium on Saturday, 7 November (kick-off is at 15:00).

Chiefs recovered with a convincing 3-1 win over Golden Arrows on Tuesday night.

“That was a great result,” reflects Shabba. “Scoring three goals at home showed our character after losing against Pirates.”

Another Derby chapter will be written on Saturday. “We will take the Arrows win as a confidence booster to this Telkom Knockout semi-final,” the Chiefs captain stresses. “We have to bring our A-game, because we have to go past Pirates to reach the final.”

Amakhosi coach Steve Komphela fielded a somewhat changed line-up against Arrows.

“The coach has a healthy headache when it comes to team selection for Saturday’s game,” Tshabalala comments with a smile on his face. “The coach selects the best XI for the match, depending on planning. There are a lot of factors in this game. Bragging rights and pride are at stake.”

Tickets are selling at Computicket and Shoprite/Checkers outlets nationwide at a cost of R80 for the lower and middle tier of the stadium seating. The ones for the upper tier cost R40 and children under the age of 12 pay R10.