Kaizer Chiefs ended a 10-year trophy drought by clinching the Nedbank Cup with a 2-1 victory over Orlando Pirates in a packed Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

Yusuf Maart, a former Pirates development player, scored the decisive goal 10 minutes from full-time. Capitalizing on disorganization in the Pirates defense, he struck a first-time shot past Sipho Chaine.

This Nedbank Cup triumph marks the end of a significant trophy drought for Chiefs, whose last silverware was the league title in the 2014/15 season. Their most recent domestic cup victory was the MTN8 on 20 September 2014, against the same Pirates side, also at the Durban venue.

By winning the Nedbank Cup, Chiefs have now qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup next season.

Conversely, Pirates coach Jose Riveiro experienced his first final defeat in South Africa, having previously won five consecutive finals. Pirates were the defending champions of this competition, having secured the title in the past two seasons.

The Chiefs’ starting lineup featured a notable surprise with Brandon Petersen, who had been sidelined since December, replacing first-choice goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma. Bvuma was absent from the entire match-day squad, with Fiacre Ntwari on the substitutes’ bench.

Prior to kickoff, the stadium was illuminated by a spectacular fireworks display, setting the stage for what was hoped to be a thrilling match with goals.

The action unfolded as Deano van Rooyen conceded a penalty by tripping Pule Mmodi, prompting referee Masoxole Bambiso to point to the spot. Gaston Sirino, who previously scored a winning goal for Mamelodi Sundowns in the 2019/20 edition against Bloemfontein Celtic, calmly converted the penalty in the 10th minute, giving Chiefs the early lead.

Chiefs had also started strongly in their league match last week, with Glody Lilepo scoring in the second minute, but Pirates managed to come back and win 2-1. However, history would not repeat itself in this final.

Statistical analysis suggests that Chiefs tend to score more frequently in the opening 30 minutes of their matches, while Pirates’ goal-scoring tends to peak from the 55th minute onwards.

Just six minutes after Chiefs’ opener, Pirates responded. Dillan Solomons conceded a careless free kick by holding back Relebohile Mofokeng. Deon Hotto delivered a dangerous free kick into the box, and an unmarked Evidence Makgopa headed the ball in at the back post.

The crowd erupted in loud cheers as soon as Pirates scored, with every subsequent attacking move from the Buccaneers met with enthusiastic roars.

Pirates appeared to gain the upper hand, controlling the tempo and dictating the flow of the game.

They almost took the lead when Mohau Nkota, a player known for performing well in big matches this season, cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot that was palmed away for a corner by Petersen.

Chiefs’ midfield seemed disjointed, and Inacio Miguel risked a penalty when he was turned by Mofokeng and appeared to handle the youngster, who lost his balance. Amakhosi survived the appeal.

Miguel was again caught out shortly after the restart of the second half, pulling back Nkota around the neck as the Pirates forward was about to break through on goal. The Angolan defender received a yellow card for the foul.

Despite the 1-1 interval, Chiefs still lacked confidence in their play.

Nkota once more skillfully navigated his way into the box, executing step-overs but ultimately dragging his shot wide of the target, another missed opportunity for Pirates following an unforced error from Chiefs.

Just after the hour mark, Riveiro made a tactical substitution, replacing the hard-working Makgopa with Tshegofatso Mabasa, a player known for his efficiency in front of goal, highlighted by his hat-trick against Baroka FC in the round of 16.

The game seemed to be yearning for another goal, but clear-cut chances became increasingly scarce for both sides in Durban.

Both goalkeepers found themselves largely unemployed as the majority of the play unfolded in the midfield.

However, the introduction of Mdu Shabalala for Sirino seemed to inject more dynamism into the Chiefs attack. In the 78th minute, Mmodi came agonizingly close to scoring, but his shot struck the post.

Following this period of sustained pressure, Chiefs finally scored the winner in the 82nd minute. Maart unleashed a powerful left-footed shot that beat Chaine at the near post.

The stadium erupted as Chiefs regained the lead, and the momentum of the game swung decisively in their favor.

Pirates had a late opportunity to equalize from a corner kick, but the ball evaded everyone, with a slight touch being all that was needed to score. Chiefs held firm to secure a famous victory, their first Nedbank Cup title since they defeated SuperSport United at the same Durban venue back in 2013.