Can Nabi emulate Zwane, Baxter in his first derby?

Should Kaizer Chiefs upset high-flying Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium on Saturday, Nasreddine Nabi would be the third coach to win his first Soweto derby in recent times, from both teams, following in the footsteps of Arthur Zwane and Stuart Baxter.

Zwane was the last coach to win his first Soweto derby, doing so with Chiefs when they beat Pirates 1-0 in the league in October 2022. Baxter also won his maiden Soweto derby during his second spell at Chiefs, recording a 2-1 victory over the Sea Robbers in the league in November 2021.

Zwane's winning Soweto derby debut meant the incumbent Pirates mentor, Jose Riveiro, lost his maiden fixture against Amakhosi. The last Pirates coach to win his first Soweto derby versus the Glamour Boys was Augusto Palacios, in one of his many spells as stand-in, outwitting their traditional rivals 3-2 in March 2012.

Nabi's predecessor Cavin Johnson lost his first of the two Soweto derbies 1-0 in November 2023, while Molefi Ntseki was fired at Naturena before facing the Buccaneers. Gavin Hunt was beaten 3-0 in his first game against Pirates as a Chiefs coach in the first leg of the MTN8 semifinals in October 2021.

Ernst Middendorp's first derby of his second spell at Chiefs ended 1-all in the league in February 2019. Giovanni Solinas lost his first game as a Chiefs coach 2-1 in the Premiership versus Pirates in October 2018.

Riveiro's predecessor Mandla Ncikazi, who now serves as his assistant, lost 2-1 to Chiefs in his maiden Soweto derby in the league in March 2022. Before Ncikazi's interim tenure, there was Josef Zinnbauer, who lost his first derby 1-0 in the league in February 2020.

In his first Soweto derby, Rulani Mokwena was also beaten 4-2 on penalties in the Telkom Knockout quarterfinals in November 2019. The game had ended 2-all after extra time. Milutin Sredojevic drew goalless against Chiefs in his first derby in the league in October 2017. Kjell Jonevret also drew 1-all in the league in March 2017.

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