By Jonathan Olafioye
Derby in football refers to a fixture or match between two teams from the same town, city or region. Some rivalries between two clubs who are not from the same region are also sometimes refers to as a derby.
A good example of the rivalry between two teams who are not from the same region is the ‘El Clasico’ between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Although the two teams are not from the same region, sport lovers worldwide still refer to the encounter as a derby.
In this article, we are going to look at the biggest derbies and rivalries that exist between some African football Clubs.
1. The Cairo Derby: Al Ahly vs Zamalek (Egypt)
Number on the list is The Cairo Derby. This is undoubtedly the biggest derby on the continent; it is a match between the two most successful clubs in Egypt and Africa, Al Ahly and Zamalek.
It is a fixture between two teams named by the Confederation of African Football "CAF" as the 1st and 2nd African Clubs of the 20th Century respectively.
Both clubs have been the top clubs in the Egyptian Premier League, and have 50 domestic titles between them.
The largest winning margin in this derby was 6–0 for Zamalek for two times, the first was in 1942 Cairo League; the Second was in the 1944 Egypt Cup Final.
2. The Soweto Derby: Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
The Soweto derby is a rivalry between two teams based in Soweto, Johannesburg, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
The fierce rivalry between these two teams can be linked to the fact that Kaizer Chiefs was formed by a former Orlando Pirates striker Kaizer Motaung, who is currently the chairman and managing director of the side.
Both teams have 20 league titles between them, Kaizer Chiefs with 12 and Orlando Pirates with 8 to their belts.
The two teams have met 62 times in their history; Kaizer Chiefs have won 24 of those, while Orlando Pirates have emerged victorious 17 times, and 21 fixtures of this fixture have ended in a stalemate.
Kaizer Chiefs have won 2 of the last 5 meetings between these two sides, while the remaining 3 encounters ended in a draw.
3. The Port Harcourt Derby: Dolphins vs Sharks (Nigeria)
The Port Harcourt Derby is a fixture between two giants in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Sharks FC and Dolphins FC from Port Harcourt.
Both teams are managed and control by the Rivers State government. Any match between these two clubs has never been easy, because a lot of pride is always at stake. Either of the two teams wants to be the ‘King of Port Harcourt’.
The Port Harcourt Derby is a derby that always divided the City of Port Harcourt into two.
In 2005, Dolphins beat Sharks 2-1 home and away in the league.
4. The Tunis Derby: Club Africain vs. Esperance (Tunisia)
The Tunis derby is the local derby between the two major clubs based in the Tunisian City of Tunis, Club Africain and Esperance.
The derby is played in Rades in the Stade Olympique de Radès stadium due to its larger capacity of 60,000 seats.
The Club Africain headquarters are located in Bab Jedid, an old area of the city of Tunis Espérance headquarters is located 1 km from that of Club Africain. Both clubs have a similar amount of supporters and are considered the two largest clubs in Tunisia.
The two teams have met 120 times in their history. Esperance have won 48 of those matches, Club Africain with 27 wins, with the rest ending in a draw.
Club Esperance have won 4 of the last 5 meetings between the two sides, while Africain had managed just 1 victory.
5. The Nairobi Derby: A.F.C Leopards vs. Gor Mahia (Kenya)
. The Nairobi Derby between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards is inarguably among the top derbies in the continent. Players and fans feel the intensity of the encounter, no matter the situation or timing.
Gor Mahia has won the Kenyan Premier League a record 14 times, while A.F.C. Leopards have one less league title to their name. The passion of the fans during encounters between these two teams makes the derby matches "thrillers".
