'Pirates is a completely different game' - Baxter remains cautious ahead of Soweto derby showdown

Many local football enthusiasts wait for this week in the South African domestic calendar once the Premier Soccer League (PSL) announces the season's fixture list.

The Soweto derby is the grandest and most-watched match on the schedule, with two guaranteed fixtures between fierce rivals Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. 

The stadium is often sold out in minutes, however due to ongoing Covid-19 regulations, Saturday's derby will be played at an empty Orlando Stadium.

It is expected that a mass protest will take place outside the famous ground, as fans come together aggrieving the matter that will reach the two-year mark in March. 

The first-round encounter between the Buccaneers and Amakhosi took place in November, with Keagan Dolly stealing the headlines.

His two goals clinched a 2-1 victory for the Glamour Boys at FNB Stadium.

This weekend's crucial Soweto derby will be about revenge, and Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter is aware that Pirates will want to redeem themselves to ensure bragging rights for their faithful supporters.

"Pirates is a completely different game. Will we play with four at the back, or will we play with three centre-backs? That remains to be seen," he said following Chiefs' victory over Baroka on Saturday.

"We do have some fresh legs. I'm expecting Bernard [Parker] to be back, Samir (Nurkovic) has got a good hour under his belt, Leo [Castro] has got time under his belt, we got Lebo (Manyama) back on the field and a few more minutes for him.

"We've got almost a full squad to look at now, and we'll just suck on this caramel (after the win against Baroka) and then it is back to work."

Kick-off is at 15:30 on Saturday.