Soweto Derby venue confirmed as FNB Stadium ends uncertainty

The next Soweto Derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs will be played at FNB Stadium on 31 October, ending weeks of uncertainty over the venue.

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) had continued to list Orlando Amstel Arena as the host stadium for the fixture, but Stadium Management has now confirmed that the match will take place at the 94,700-capacity FNB Stadium on the same date.

The decision means the derby will again be staged at the venue regarded as Chiefs’ home, while also being used by Pirates when they face their biggest rivals.

A further sell-out crowd is expected for one of South Africa’s most high-profile football fixtures. Orlando Amstel Arena can hold just under 40% of the number of spectators accommodated by FNB Stadium.

The size of the occasion, and the security and safety challenges associated with hosting it at FNB Stadium, were among the factors behind the decision to use the larger ground rather than Pirates’ traditional home.

The Soweto Derby has been played at FNB Stadium for all league meetings between the clubs since the 2010/11 season, apart from fixtures held during the COVID-19 period.

Before the 2010 World Cup, when FNB Stadium was undergoing renovations, the derby was hosted at several other grounds. Those venues included Orlando Stadium, Loftus Versfeld, Ellis Park, Mmabatho and Kings Park.

FNB Stadium has now staged more Soweto Derbies than Orlando Amstel Arena, where the fixture was played during its early years in the 1970s and 1980s.