It was a one-sided contest in which Pirates were the dominant force against a Chiefs team who failed to find a footfold in the game. Here are the talking points from the contest.
Moremi opener
There was a touch of good fortune about Tshepang Moremi’s opening goal for Pirates inside five minutes, but you don’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket.
He tried his luck from distance and while his initial shot looked comfortable for Chiefs goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma, it took a wicked deflection off Flavio Silva and trickled into the net.
There was nothing Bvuma could do about it, rather credit Moremi’s ambition to have a shot at goal and his endeavor paid off.
It was the earliest goal scored by Pirates in the Soweto Derby for 22 years, since the late Gift Leremi netted in the opening minute in 2004.
Clinical Appollis
Pirates largely dominated the play after that and deservedly scored a second goal on 39 minutes. It came through arguably their player of the season to date, Oswin Appollis.
The Bafana Bafana winger was played into space in the box by Relebohile Mofokeng and he picked his spot at the far post, providing a clinical finish. Too often in the PSL we see players blast the ball from there and miss the target.
A watching Bafana coach Hugo Broos in the stands will have been delighted to see the goal, and the link-up play between Mofokeng and Appollis. That could be crucial come the 2026 World Cup.
Chiefs penalty appeal
Chiefs had a shout for a penalty late in the first half as the ball broke in the area and as Silva looked to move it forward, Deon Hotto stretched out a leg. The Angolan went down and the AmaKhosi were sure it was a spot-kick.
Replays showed Hotto did not get the ball, but did he get the man? That part was perhaps inconclusive, with the suggestion that Silva went down a little too easily and tried to invite the contact.
Referee Eugene Mdluli likely got it right based on the evidence we had at our disposal. There is no Video Assistant Referee in the PSL (yet), who knows what they might have made of the incident.
Pirates score a third
Evidence Makgopa put the cheery on top with a third and it was a fairly simple goal in the end.
Moremi crossed from the left and Makgopa steered the ball into he net with his head at the far post, with no defender in sight.
Again, with Broos watching on it was a good moment for the tall striker, who is not getting many minutes these days with the emergence of Yanela Mbuthuma.
Where does this leave us?
Pirates are back on top of the Betway Premiership, leading Mamelodi Sundowns by three points but having played a game more.
They have also improved their goal-difference to +21 compared to +19 for Sundowns, who are next in action on Sunday when they host third-placed Sekhukhune United in a tricky fixture.
Chiefs’ slim title hopes are likely now all but done. They trail Pirates by 11 points with just one game in hand as their promising form this season takes a nose-dive.
Chiefs' poor form
At the start of this month there was optimism that this might be a season of real progress for Chiefs, but since then they have fallen out of the Betway Premiership title race and their interest in the CAF Confederation Cup and Nedbank Cup are also over.
They have now lost four of their last five games, two of those to Stellenbosch FC in league and cup, a crucial Confederation Cup tie at Zamalek and now the Soweto Derby.
Their next four league games look crucial in shaping their season, and perhaps the futures of co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef as they face Richards Bay (away), Durban City (home), Magesi FC (home) and Orbit College (away).
