Sports

Chiefs End Trophy Drought with FA Cup Victory Over Rivals

Published

4 months ago

May 13, 2025

taryn

Kaizer Chiefs finally lifted a trophy for the first time since 2015 after a tense 2-1 win over Orlando Pirates in the FA Cup final on Saturday. The long-awaited victory brought joy to their fans and ended years of frustration for one of South Africa’s most iconic football clubs.

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— Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) May 10, 2025

A late strike from captain Yusuf Maart secured the win in front of a packed crowd of 50,000 at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium. His 80th-minute goal proved decisive after the match had seen both teams score early.

Gaston Sirino gave Chiefs the lead in the 10th minute by converting a penalty, only for Evidence Makgopa to equalise for Pirates with a header seven minutes later. The first half saw both teams press hard, but the second half belonged to Chiefs as they searched for a winner.

The FA Cup triumph brought relief to Chiefs supporters, who have endured nine years without silverware despite the club’s proud history of winning more domestic trophies than any other South African side since 1970.

It was also a personal victory for head coach Nasreddine Nabi. The Tunisian, under pressure after a disappointing league campaign with just eight wins in 26 matches, finally gave fans something to celebrate.

“I’m happy for the supporters,” Nabi said. “We lost our rhythm after they equalised, but our second-half changes gave us more control.”

For Pirates coach Jose Riveiro, who is leaving the club at the end of the season, it was a tough way to end his time with the Soweto giants.

“It was an ugly match from start to finish,” Riveiro admitted. “We’re disappointed, but the club will bounce back. You can’t win them all.”