Mdu acknowledges Pirates’ form ahead of derby

Kaizer Chiefs forward, Mduduzi Shabalala, has thrown the gauntlet at Orlando Pirates ahead of Saturday’s derby, saying Pirates’ young talent is better than that of Amakhosi.

In this first derby of the 2024/25 season, Pirates have been tipped as favourites to collect maximum points after having an impressive start to the campaign. They are sitting second on the log standings with 27 points in 11 matches played, behind log leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Meanwhile, Chiefs have had a slow start to the tenure of new coach, Nasreddine Nabi, who took over the coaching role in July last year.

“We are not on the level of Pirates youngsters yet. I think the youngsters playing at Pirates are doing way better than us, not only here in South Africa but in the African continent,” Shabalala said.

“You could see how they play. I think they gained a lot of experience at an early age because you see each and every game, and they are growing. I think it’s for us to learn from them and not be jealous because our time is coming. We just need to keep our heads up and work with the technical team at the club. I think we’ll reach our potential and be the best,” he added. Written by Ntsako Mkhari