Amakhosi lost their last match 2-1 against Platinum Stars and have drawn seven of their 15 League matches, while the Buccaneers lost 1-0 against Jomo Cosmos and are down in 11th spot on the log table.
Both clubs are also led by coaches – Steve Komphela and Eric Tinkler – who have a lot to prove to their supporters.
“Both teams have experienced poor results recently and that makes it difficult to predict who will come out on top in the Soweto Derby,” Dumitru tells snl24.com/kickoff.
“Will that negative atmosphere encourage players to perform beyond expectations, or is it going to hamper their performance? I can tell you the playing field will be level and the match could be tense.
“There is so much pressure for both teams at the moment and this one Derby I wouldn’t want to be part of.”
The last time the two teams met in the League, Pirates won 3-1 with Kermit Erasmus causing havoc for the Chiefs defence. Now the striker has joined French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes and Dumitru believes he will be missed.
“It is a psychological factor because some [Pirates] players are very close to him. That’s going to affect the team. Technically he was a better player than others to win matches and it going to affect them.
“But I believe it will be compensated by team effort and unity. But I think the result will be a draw under the circumstances.”