Johannesburg — KAIZER Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral is looking forward to Saturday's Soweto derby showdown against the old enemy, Orlando Pirates, and is hardly feeling the pressure often associated with the game, writes Mninawa Ntloko.

"Pressure? This is the nice kind of pressure," he said.

"In Afghanistan bombs are falling and people are dying. Now that is pressure."

Chiefs go into Saturday's encounter appearing to have the edge against a Pirates side that has looked off-colour in recent weeks. They have not won a game since beating Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0 on March 5.

Defeats against Platinum Stars, Ajax Cape Town, Supersport United, Thanda Royal Zulu, and goalless draws with Black Leopards and Jomo Cosmos paint the picture of a struggling side.

And with just three games to go before the end of the season, Pirates have to be worried by their lowly 11th place on the premiership standings.

Chiefs look marginally better, even though their ninth place should be worrying for a team used to occupying the upper half of the table.

Ertugral can draw solace from the fact that Mamelodi Sundowns were the only team to get the better of his charges in eight matches after that 1-0 defeat last month.

The wins over Moroka Swallows, Amazulu, Free State Stars and Golden Arrows should give Chiefs a confident boost in their step going into this game at Mafikeng stadium.

Pirates coach Owen da Gama had an explanation for the dramatic dip in form of a side that was one of the top contenders for the domestic premiership title earlier this season.

"I think we started too quickly and peaked too soon," Da Gama said yesterday. "I said it in December that we were not ready to win the league."

Yet, as Chiefs captain Shaun Bartlett warned, form is usually thrown out the window in a derby and their better run of results could count for nothing. "The form book does not count and the players know that," he said.

Pirates captain Lehlohonolo Seema said everybody in the Pirates camp was itching to play, as has always been the case in previous derby encounters.

The previous meeting between the two sides ended in a 2-2 draw in Durban last November in a game watched by 43 countries in Europe.

This latest instalment has been the subject of much debate, as many observers argue that the excitement of previous editions will be missing because the two sides are not in the running for the premiership title.

However, both camps vehemently argued yesterday the game would retain a degree of competitiveness as Chiefs and Pirates still desperately want to end the season in the top eight.