Freak own goal gifts Kaizer Chiefs priceless Soweto Derby double over 10-man Orlando Pirates

At FNB Stadium

Kaizer Chiefs may be having another forgettable season, but in beating bitter rivals Orlando Pirates 1-0 on Saturday, they'll at least sleep well having recorded a second consecutive Soweto Derby league double.

RECAP | Chiefs v Pirates

It was a scrappy, unimaginative, and error-strewn derby that was settled by Olisa Ndah's freak 89th-minute own goal when he nodded in Edmilson Dove's speculative long ball.

Pirates, who were down to 10 men after captain Innocent Maela was sent off for a tackle on Christian Saile, would've felt robbed as most decisions didn't go their way. 

However, they contributed to a game that had more fits and starts than an old-car engine being repetitively cranked up on a cold winter's day.

The loss meant Pirates were subjected to a third league Soweto Derby double in four seasons and when the league double they conceded against Mamelodi Sundowns is factored in, they don't look like a big-game team against equal or better opponents.

For Ndah, it was the second time he contributed to a Pirates derby defeat, having fouled Khama Billiat in one of the 2020/21 exchanges that led to Pirates losing 2-1.

However, it was a football game of low quality that would've disappointed even the most ardent of supporters.

The last time the derby involved a top-of-the-table Soweto side, it was back in the 2019/20 season when Chiefs, under Ernst Middendorp, were on top.

Those games crackled with tension, but also had the quality and the hunger that made those three matches that season memorable.

This game had all the makings of a mid-table derby where a win for both sides wasn't going to do much to advance their points cause.

Pirates came into the game five points behind second-placed SuperSport United while