Phali who played for Pirates in 2006-2007 was part of the 2006 Soweto Derby between the sides at the FNB Stadium just before the stadium closed down due to the 2010 FIFA World Cup preparations.

Reflecting back on that derby, Phali mentions that Orlando Pirates had prepared very well for that clash and it was a bit unfortunate for them to concede such a late goal, "I remember very well it was a corner kick in the 90th minute and Benedict "Tso" Vilakazi was supposed to have cleared the ball at the first post but Shaun Bartlett's header was just to strong and powerful to clear, although Chiefs scored we were happy that the match ended in a 1-1 draw unlike if we had lost the encounter," Phali said.

Phali also speaks about how the Soweto Derby is every player's dream to play and be in the starting lineup for it, "When I heard that I would be starting the game I was overjoyed because it was one of my biggest achievements in my footballing career so I get excited every time I see a youngster being given a Soweto Derby debut because I know the impact it has on one's self-confidence," said Phali.

17 years later from 2006 Phali still gets goosebumps whenever he talks about the Soweto Derby, the Sebokeng born ex player also talked about how the upcoming Soweto Derby will be won in the midfield.

"Having observed how the two sides play I believe that the upcoming Soweto Derby will be won in the middle of the park, Chiefs has a wealth of experience in the middle with the likes of Yusuf Maart, Siyathembe Sithebe, Keegan Dolly and Phathutshedzo Nange who can influence the match into Amakhosi's advantage while Pirates will also look to Miguel Timm, Thabang Monare, Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo and Thembinkosi Lorch to win the match for them,"

It goes without saying that the Soweto Derby is one of the biggest football encounters in Africa and every player will look to rise to the occasion in a bid to help their side to victory.

With Amakhosi coach Arthur Zwane being on the limelight lately due to the inconsistency of Chiefs' performance in the DSTV Premiership, Phali believes that the Soweto Derby is the one encounter that can save Zwane.

"Should Chiefs win the clash against Pirates on Saturday, Zwane's job at Chiefs will be safe that is how powerful the influence of the Soweto Derby is, just like in the reverse fixture last year in October, Chiefs should beat Pirates if they want to save Zwane's job," Phali added.

Preparations ahead of the match on Saturday have been going well with both teams putting their players into their paces and working on different technical approaches to apply in a bid to unlock each other during the match.

The match on Saturday is set to Kick-off at 15:30 at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.