Kaizer Chiefs’ rising attacker Mduduzi Shabalala says Amakhosi want to make their supporters happy in the Nedbank Cup semi-final against Orlando Pirates.
Chiefs will host their bitter rivals Pirates in the Nedbank Cup semi-final at FNB Stadium, with the organisers confirming that the game has been a sold out affair at the calabash.
Although Amakhosi will enter this fixture not as favourites having lost two of their last three league games, with their form being up and down, they have beaten Pirates in the last five Derbies and Shabalala wants to see that continue.
“Obviously we have to win and make our supporters happy,” said Shabalala, who featured in the Derby in February where Chiefs won 1-0, at a Vodacom event for Chiefs main sponsor.
“It is important for us to go to the final because it has been a long time for Kaizer Chiefs not reaching the final.
“That will be a good thing for us, especially me since this is my first season to be in the final, it’s going to be a huge experience for me and to win it, it’s going to be another thing because we want to win it.
“But that has to start on Saturday.”
While Shabalala aims to continue their winning trail over Chiefs, Pirates have had an upper hand in the past two knockout semi-finals between the two.
Pirates beat Chiefs in the Telkom Knockout Out semi in the 2018/19 season and they followed that up with another humbling win over Chiefs in the MTN8 semi-finals in the 2020/21 season.
The Buccaneers also beat Chiefs when these two sides last met in the Ke Yona Cup, winning 2-0 in the first round in the 2015/16 season.
But the last time Chiefs won a knockout competition, they beat Pirates in the MTN8 final in 2014.
Chiefs’ last Ke Yona Cup trophy was when they defeated SuperSport United in the 2012/13 season. A year later, Pirates succeeded Chiefs, beating Gavin Hunt’s Bidvest Wits. That was the last time either side won this competition.
