Makgopa in search of fifth derby goal

Evidence Makgopa leads the list of players of current derby goal scorers as he goes in search of his fifth goal in the fixture between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates when the two sides meet at Soccer Coty on Saturday.

Makgopa, recently returned from injury suffered at the World Cup, bagged the winner in the November 2024 derby and then scored on successive weekends when Pirates beat Chiefs 2-1 on 3 May 2025, only to lose the Nedbank Cup final in Durban one week later.

Makgopa was also on the scoresheet in last February’s 3-0 win for Pirates, along with Thabang Moremi and Oswin Appollis.

The last derby clash in April ended 1-1 with Pule Mmodi scoring for Chiefs and then Kamohelo Sebelebele for the Bucaneers.

Pule ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe has the record number of goals in the tussle between the two Soweto giants.

His total of 19 goals for Chiefs over a span of 17 years playing in the derby will likely never be broken given how strikers these days find it so tough to find the net.

Ntsoelengoe was there at the start of the rivalry with two goals in the very first game between the two clubs in January 1970, when Pirates won 6-4, and kept up his scoring habits right through to the 1982 Mainstay Cup semifinal, where Chiefs triumphed 2-1.

The crafty playmaker competed for another six years in the derby, making his last appearance in 1988 for a remarkable 18 years dominating.

His tally is eight more than three players tied on 11 goals – Nelson ‘Teenage’ Dladla, Abednigo ‘Shaka’ Ngcobo and Marks Maponyane, who scored for both sides in the derby.

Maponyane is one of six players who have netted for both teams in the derby. He scored 10 times for Chiefs and once he had defected and joined Pirates, got one more derby strike.

Pirates’ top all-time scorer remains Jomo Sono with nine, two ahead of Alfred ‘Russia’ Jacobs and MacDonald Skosana, all from the same era.

Saturday’s game is the 186th in all competitions between the teams since they first met for third place in the Rogue Cup in 1970.