The father and son rivalry: How the Soweto Derby was born

On 24 January 1970, a historic soccer match unfolded at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg, when Orlando Pirates faced off against their newly formed rival, Kaizer Chiefs. The game, seemingly insignificant at first glance, marked the beginning of one of the most intense and long-standing rivalries in world football. The Soweto Derby, as it is now known, has seen 184 clashes to date and continues to captivate generations of football fans.

The rivalry's origins can be traced back to tensions that simmered for a year, stemming from the fact that both teams had lost in the semi-finals of the Rogue Beer Cup. However, it was the father-son dynamic that truly fueled the flames of this grudge encounter. Kaizer Chiefs founder Kaizer Motaung, once a protégé of Orlando Pirates, had left to play for Atlanta Chiefs in the United States.

Upon his return in 1969, he found himself at odds with three expelled Pirates players - Thomas ‘Zero’ Johnson, Edward ‘Msomi’ Khoza, and Ratha ‘Jimmy Greaves’ Mokgoatleng. These players had accepted an invitation to participate in a Christmas soccer tournament in Botswana without Pirates’ consent, leading to disciplinary action against them by the club.

This disciplinary action not only cost Motaung his place at Pirates but also set the stage for the birth of Kaizer Chiefs. Together with these three players, Motaung founded Kaizer Chiefs in 1969, effectively creating a son who wanted to teach his father a lesson. The first-ever encounter between the two teams ended in a 6-4 victory for Orlando Pirates, with Bernard “Dancing Shoes” Hartze scoring a late goal.

From that day forward, every subsequent clash would carry the weight of this intense rivalry, with both teams vying for dominance and claiming bragging rights until their next meeting.