Cape Town - Hat-tricks have been the rarest of things in the Soweto Derby, with just three in the last 52 years of South Africa’s most famous football fixture.
Given that teams scoring four, five or six goals were not uncommon back in the 1970s, that is perhaps a surprise that there has not been a treble netted in matches between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in 26 years.
EBISON MUGOYO (KAIZER CHIEFS)
Zimbabwean forward Ebson ‘Sugar’ Muguyo proved a salty opponent for Orlando Pirates as he netted the very first Soweto Derby hat-trick in a BP Top 16 semi-final replay in 1975, with two of his goals coming in extra-time.
Pirates’ new goalkeeper Errol Mathini got the blame as his coach Alex Forbes described his performance as an “early Christmas present” for AmaKhosi after the match had finished 1-1 following the 90 minutes.
Mugoyo opened the scoring with a header from Gerald Dlamini’s cross, but Pirates equalised through Webster Lichaba.
Pirates captain Mashaba missed from the penalty spot nine minutes into the second half when he struck the crossbar and referee Caleb Ngxabane also sent off Elias Banda and Petros Nzimande for fighting.
The turning point came when Pirates took off goalkeeper Simon Mathebula and replaced him with Mathini, newly signed from Verulam Suburbs.
There was an element of luck about Mugoyo’s goal in the 93rd minute which put Chiefs 2-1 ahead and a penalty from Ntsoelengoe sent the goalkeeper the wrong way soon after. Sadike and Mugoyo added the last two goals as Pirates fans emptied out of the stands before the final whistle and Chiefs won 5-1.
Mugoyo would go on to score nine derby goals, placing him fifth on the all-time list for Chiefs.
HENRY KHUMALO (ORLANDO PIRATES)
Second-half substitute Henry ‘Mthofi’ Khumalo was given a hero's reception at the end of the game after engineering a remarkable victory for Pirates, who were two goals down on aggregate before he was brought on and changed the outcome of the game in 1981.
Chiefs were a goal up from the first leg of the Champions of Champions final and held out in the first half at a packed Orlando Stadium, before extending their aggregate lead when Peter Mokotedi scored right after the interval.
Not even the most die-hard of Pirates fans would have then believed a comeback was possible but Khumalo, who had not exactly set the Buccaneers alight since his move from Durban two years previously, turned the result right around.
Kagiso Mogale provided the first for Khumalo in the 64th minute with a defence-splitting pass, before he added a second to level the tie.
Jingles Pereira then handled the ball in the box to present Pirates with a chance to win the trophy in the final minute of the game which Khumalo duly converted to set off jubilant scenes of celebration as Pirates claimed the first prize of R7 000.
JERRY SIKHOSANA (ORLANDO PIRATES)
The last hat-trick in a derby match was scored 26 years ago as Jerry ‘Legs of Thunder’ Sikhosana catapulted Pirates to a comprehensive 4-1 win in the 1996 Bob Save Super Bowl semi-finals.
Sikhosana had been instructed by Pirates coach Viktor Bondarenko to exploit Chiefs’ defensive weaknesses, primarily their lack of pace at the back, and he did just that by completing his hat-trick inside 47 minutes.
“I think the fans no longer see me as the bad guy. They realise I’m not being selfish when I keep on trying to score. It’s my job and they appreciate it,” Sikhosana said later.
It was one of the best games all year, but the Buccaneers could have had eight goals and gave Chiefs the same sort of run around that Chiefs were used to dishing out to other teams.
It was too much for AmaKhosi defender Lifa Gqosha, who was sent off after clattering into teenager Steve Lekoelea. Chiefs’ captain Neil Tovey’s place in the Bafana Bafana side was also up for discussion after his poor game.
Sikhosana opened the scoring in the 18th minute and made it 2-0 just before half-time. Then he got his third before David Modise pulled one back for a shell-shocked AmaKhosi. Helman Mkhalele made it four for Pirates in the 76th minute as the Buccaneers went on to beat Jomo Cosmos in the final three weeks later.
@Herman_Gibbs