Former Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brian Baloyi has assessed the Amakhosi squad and identified two players he believes could inspire their side to victory over Orlando Pirates in the Soweto Derby at FNB Stadium on Sunday.
The two Soweto giants collide in a Betway Premiership tie as the 2025/26 season approaches its conclusion and the title race reaches its climax. Motivating Pirates going into Sunday’s encounter is that they enjoy a point lead at the top of the standings.
They would want to remain firmly in contention for the league title, challenging Mamelodi Sundowns, who are currently second on the table with a game in hand. Dropping points on Sunday could heavily dent the Buccaneers’ title aspirations.
A run of six wins and two draws in their last eight league matches is what defines Pirates at the moment. Those victories include the 6-0 trouncing of TS Galaxy FC, the 5-0 drubbing of Golden Arrows FC, and a 3-0 win over AmaZulu FC in their last outing.
With Relebohile Mofokeng seemingly unstoppable, that could scare Chiefs, who are third on the log with four points more than fourth-placed Usuthu. But Amakhosi would draw inspiration from their six-match unbeaten run, which has five successive victories and a draw.
Chiefs co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze could also take comfort when they look at how Pirates looked vulnerable in the recent draw against Richards Bay FC. That could remove a veil of invincibility from a side that humiliated them 3-0 in the season’s first Soweto Derby in February.
That loss saw Chiefs players come under heavy scrutiny for whether they were cut for the big stage. But Baloyi has pointed to two Amakhosi players he says are capable of stealing the show on Sunday.
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“[Glody] Lilepo and [Flavio] Da Silva’s confidence can work on Sunday. They have arrogance,” Baloyi told FARPost.
“It doesn’t matter even when they have been getting criticism, but when they go on the field, one thing is for sure: they give their all. They are not afraid of making mistakes.
“Those two guys can hurt Pirates. Don’t be fooled by the fact that they didn’t do much in that other derby.”
Since the February 28 Soweto Derby, Lilepo has scored two goals and provided as many assists in seven league games. Da Silva has also managed two goals but has just one assist in that period.
The duo leads the scoring charts for Kaizer Chiefs this season: Silva sits on nine goals and an assist across all competitions, while Lilepo follows closely with eight goals and three assists. Both will be eager to add to their tallies today at 15:00 CAT in a sold-out Soweto Derby against Pirates.
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