SOUTH Africa will once again be divided as Kaizer Chiefs will welcome their biggest rivals, Orlando Pirates, in the highly anticipated home match under the Betway Premiership on Saturday at 3.30 pm, at FNB Stadium, Nasrec.
This game came at a time when both teams were in dire need of points since they came from unsatisfactory results.
Chiefs showed their weakness by allowing Stellenbosch FC to drive home on Tuesday night, while Pirates were defeated by Casric Stars in the Nedbank Cup last week.
A win for Makhosi will mean a return to the title race and Bucs want to return to the top of the log following being displaced by Mamelodi Sundowns who beat AmaZulu FC in the middle of the week.
Although there is no explanation as to why the first home game of the season was held in March, what is clear is that it came at a time when Chiefs and Pirates equally needed full points.
Home game by the numbers:
1– It will be the first home game for Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and Chiefs substitutes Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef left by Nasreddine Nabi.
4-Fani Madida and Alfred “Russia” Jacobs are the only ones who have scored four goals in consecutive home games.
5– Before winning the Nedbank Cup last season, Chiefs had been beaten by Pirates five times in a row at home.
6– There are six players who have scored goals on both sides when these bulls face the home team (Gabriel Khoza, Blessing Mgidi, Jerry Sadike, Donald Khuse, Marks Maponyane and Marc Bachelor).
6– There are also six coaches who have sat on both benches in the home game (Vladimir Vermezovic, Kosta Papic, Walter Da Silva, Ted Dumitru, Augusto Palacios and Joe Frickleton).
8-Most home runs in one season (8) in 1975.
11– It has happened 11 times in history that the spear has stabbed at home for both sides in a home game.
12-In previous home games, the difference was one goal 12 times except for the 2-0 win by Pirates in 2020.
16-In the last 16 home matches, there have been no draws since 2019.
19– The fastest goal scored by the home team was scored by Mabhuti Khenyeza 19 seconds after the game started in 2007, in a game that ended in a 2-2 draw in Durban.
24-Both of these teams have scored 12 goals separately in the last 10 home games, making them 24 when combined.
31-Siphiwe Tshabalala holds the record for most home games in history (31).
78-Most home games played at FNB Stadium, Nasrec (78).
183-Chiefs and Pirates have faced each other 183 times at home since 1970.
200-Evidence Makgopa’s goal in the Nedbank Cup final last season was Pirates’ 200th at home.
80 000– Although the stadium where the home team will be played can accommodate 94,000 people, but 80,000 tickets have been sold in order to avoid unruly fans.