Kaizer Chiefs beat arch rivals Pirates to end 10-year trophy drought

Famed South African club Kaizer Chiefs won a first trophy since 2015 when they beat fierce rivals Orlando Pirates 2-1 in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Chiefs captain and midfielder Yusuf Maart scored the winning goal with a shot from inside the area on 80 minutes before a sell-out 50,000 crowd in Durban.

Uruguayan Gaston Sirino had put Chiefs ahead on 10 minutes by converting a penalty and Evidence Makgopa equalised with a header after a free-kick seven minutes later.

Victory ended a painful trophy drought for a Johannesburg-based club that, before the final, had won a record 53 domestic competitions since being formed in 1970.

Disappointing season

It also rescued a disappointing season for Chiefs, who are in the bottom half of the league table with two fixtures to play.

The most relieved person in the stadium after the final whistle was Nasreddine Nabi, the Tunisian coach hired by Chiefs for the 2024/2025 season.

Poor league form with only eight wins in 26 matches has triggered criticism with many supporters questioning whether he was the right person to revive the fortunes of the club.

"I am very happy for the supporters. We became disorganised after Pirates levelled, but improved in the second half," said Nabi.

"Our second-half substitutions brought more balance to the team and the players became more confident."

‘Very ugly match’

Spanish coach Jose Riveiro, who is leaving Pirates at the end of the season after three years with the Soweto outfit, was bitterly disappointed with the outcome and the football.

"It was a very ugly match from beginning to end. It is difficult for us right now, but the club will recover.

"You cannot win all of them (finals)," Riveiro added after suffering his first loss in six finals since joining Pirates.