Orlando Pirates Icon Jomo Sono Stuns South Africa With Bold Statement On Chiefs’ Mduduzi Shabalala

Jomo Sono Makes Special Admission About Kaizer Chiefs Star Mduduzi Shabalala Ahead Of Soweto Derby

Legendary South African football figure Jomo Sono has expressed his admiration for Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Mduduzi Shabalala, delivering glowing praise for the young Amakhosi star ahead of the highly anticipated Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates.

The former Buccaneers favourite, widely respected for his contribution to South African football, has recognised Shabalala’s quality at a time when attention is firmly focused on Saturday’s blockbuster encounter between the two Soweto giants.

Shabalala has gradually established himself as one of the exciting young talents at Naturena, with his technical ability, creativity and confidence on the ball making him an important player in the Chiefs setup. His ability to operate in attacking positions and influence proceedings has attracted considerable attention from football followers.

Sono’s admiration is particularly interesting considering his strong historical association with Orlando Pirates. The former Bafana Bafana international remains one of the most recognisable personalities in local football, having enjoyed a remarkable playing career before establishing himself as a respected football administrator and coach.

His positive assessment of a Kaizer Chiefs player ahead of such an important fixture highlights the quality that Shabalala has demonstrated and the growing recognition he is receiving beyond the Amakhosi supporters.

The 186th edition of the Soweto Derby will take place at FNB Stadium on Saturday, 31 October, with kick-off scheduled for 15:30. Both teams will be desperate to claim bragging rights, although they approach the encounter with different levels of recent form.

Orlando Pirates head into the match as strong favourites after enjoying an impressive start to their 2026/27 Betway Premiership campaign. Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side have collected seven victories and one draw from their opening eight league matches.

Chiefs, meanwhile, will be looking to build on their encouraging 3-0 Carling Knockout victory over TS Galaxy, where Wandile Duba produced an outstanding hat-trick to boost the team’s confidence.

For Shabalala, the derby presents another opportunity to demonstrate his importance to Fernando Da Cruz’s side. The midfielder will be expected to contribute creativity, energy and attacking intelligence against a Pirates team that has looked particularly strong this season.

With Sono publicly expressing his admiration for the Chiefs youngster, the spotlight will certainly be on Shabalala as supporters wait to see whether he can deliver another memorable performance on one of South African ootball’s biggest stages.

Ultimately, Saturday’s encounter will provide another opportunity for the 22-year-old midfielder to demonstrate why he is considered one of the promising talents in the country.

Source https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2116206261192536202?s=19

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