The zig-zag nature of the current season has thrown up an interesting prospect when it comes to the biggest game on the South African football calendar.
Due to the season's late start, after headline sponsor DStv dumped the PSL at the eleventh hour, there have had to be adjustments to the normal order of proceedings.
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Some of these included match postponements owing to CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup schedules, venue and kick-off time changes, and some clubs facing each other twice within the first 10 rounds of the league.
Rubbing salt into the wound, pressing matters pertaining to Royal AM also demanded the attention of the powers that be, with the club having played a mere 11 Betway Premiership fixtures up to this point, and facing a near-certain expulsion from the league following a PSL Board of Governors meeting this week.
One of the most curios developments, however, was the scheduling of the Soweto Derby, with Orlando Pirates vs Kaizer Chiefs only pencilled in for 1 February, having last engaged in battle on 9 March 2024.
That was a whopping 10 months and 24 days between the two matches.
In the end, Jose Riveiro’s men prevailed in the closely contested tie, via a last-minute Patrick Maswanganyi panenka penalty after Njabulo Blom had pulled Relebohile Mofokeng's jersey inside the box.
Now, the fanbase sits on edge as the Nedbank Cup semi-final fixtures loom on the horizon, with Bucs taking on Marumo Gallants and Amakhosi visiting Mamelodi Sundowns, both on Sunday.
Is another Soweto Derby in the offing?
Worth noting is that, as per whispers in the corridors, the final is set for May 10 at a venue yet to be announced.
Interesting considering the two old foes will have a league rematch on May 3, this time a home fixture for the men in Gold and Black, meaning the possibility of two derby games in the space of seven days is real.
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The last time the two giants met twice at such ‘short notice’ was in the 2015/16 season. Pirates ran out 3-1 winners in the league on 31 October 2015, where Issa Sarr, Ayanda Gcaba, and Thamsanqa Gabuza found the net.
Erick Mathoho netted the consolation for Steve Komphela's charges.
That was before Chiefs triumphed 6-5 on penalties after a goalless draw in the Telkom Knockout on 7 November of the same year.
The latter have it all to do against a Sundowns side that has already walloped them three times this season, while The Buccaneers will be wary of the fact Gallants beat them in the league last time out.
