Junior Khanye has weighed in on the side he believes has the upper hand ahead of the eagerly-awaited match between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
The two giants of South African football will battle it out for three points in their first Betway Premiership showdown of the 2024/25 season at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
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The two teams sit second and fifth respectively on the standings and there is more than just the bragging rights at stake as there is the title and CAF Champions League spots to also play for.
"As all we all know, for the Soweto derby we can't talk about the two teams' form and performances to formulate our predictions. The players don't need any motivation for that one to perform, they just know what is required. For the coaches too, there will be no time to do any work on the day of the game and on the field, all the work in preparing for the game has to be finalised by the end of the week," said Khanye, speaking exclusively to the Siya crew.
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"Having said that, we can't ignore the fact that Pirates are on form. For me, they are the second-best team in the league behind (Mamelodi) Sundowns. Qualifying for the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League proves that Pirates are doing well and credit to them for that. If I have to predict the winner, I will say Pirates have got the upper hand over Kaizer Chiefs because of the many competitive matches they have played so far this season and the experience gained by their players in the Champions League. I don't think there will be any Pirates player that will be playing with fear in the derby," he said.
