Two Good - De Jong Vows to ‘Do Double’ Over Kaizer Chiefs in Sunday’s Soweto Derby

De Jong: "We Can Do That Again"

With Orlando Pirates seeking out a derby double over local rivals Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium at 3pm on Sunday, one Bucs player has spoken of his excitement of partaking in the fixture as a player for the very first time.

Andre de Jong, a fresh signing for the Pirates from Stellenbosch FC in the January transfer window, didn't get onto the field back in February as his new club demolished the Chiefs 3-0 in the reverse fixture.

Ahead of the big clash on Sunday, the New Zealand-born attacker is hoping now that he will get to experience derby day from the field this time around, having scored once in nine league appearances since his move.

De Jong Ready for Derby Affair

Andre de Jong has cut a popular figure since his arrival in Soweto back in January.

The attacking midfielder, who has earned 13 caps for his country since his debut in 2018, scoring twice, has turned out on nine occasions and scored once since his move across South Africa from Stellenbosch earlier on this year, bringing his overall Premiership tally to two goals with an assist as well from 11 starts thus far.

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Andre De Jong earned his 13th New Zealand cap when he came on in the 77th minute.

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The 29-year-old didn't get to feature in the Soweto derby the last time it was played back in February, which ended in a comprehensive 3-0 win for Bucs, and has now spoken of his hopes of getting in on the action on Sunday afternoon.

Speaking during a press conference for the game on Thursday afternoon, de Jong told reporters of his excitement over the fixture and his experience of it from the bench in February: _“Obviously, my last debut experience, it was incredible to be there. Sitting on the bench that day and seeing the atmosphere around the stadium, and the two sets of supporters.

"Obviously, [there were] a lot of smiles from the Pirates fans that day, it was incredible to be part of. And it’s something that while playing for Royal AM, AmaZulu and Stellies, was sort of a dream of mine to play in a big game like that."

He continued by mentioning his wishes to take part in the game itself this weekend: "Hopefully I can get on the field on Sunday, so I can experience it on the pitch. It’s just an incredible game to be part of and really looking forward to Sunday."

Bucs Prepared for Chiefs Battle

With both teams coming into this clash high on confidence after collecting good results in the games leading to the match, De Jong is expecting a thrilling encounter at the FNB Stadium and is hoping that the Buccaneers will beat Chiefs again to maintain their title challenge.

With both of these sides coming into the game high on confidence amidst respective good runs of form, de Jong is anticipating another excellent encounter between these two rivals at the FNB Stadium on Sunday, and is hoping that the Bucs can pick up another win to keep their title hopes alive against Mamelodi Sundowns.

Orlando Pirates attacker Andre de Jong has highlighted the importance of a win against Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto derby, following Mamelodi Sundowns’ draw against Stellenbosch FC.

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“Both teams are in good form, so both teams have a bit of confidence going into this game. Obviously, the way the last derby went, it was a great day for the club and we’ll try to emulate that again on Sunday. We’re not taking them lightly at all, because every game in the Betway Premiership is tough. Add the derby atmosphere to that and the ninety thousand people, it’s going to be a big day and a high-pressure situation, but we’ve handled that well this season and hopefully we can do that again,” the New Zealand midfielder added in his press conference.

Meanwhile, Pirates have received a major boost ahead of the derby, with news that midfielder Thalente Ndaba and striker Evidence Makgopa are available for this clash after recovering from their minor knocks. The duo missed the Buccaneers’ 3-0 win over AmaZulu last weekend.