CHIEFS HOLD OUT FOR WIN AGAINST SUNDOWNS
Kaizer Chiefs secured a 2-1 win over Mamelodi Sundowns in an Absa Premiership match at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Tuesday night.
The win takes Amakhosi to fourth spot on the league standings, while the Brazilians slip down to sixth spot on the table.
The two sides shared possession almost evenly in the opening stages of the encounter and the first chance of the match fell for Bernard Parker.
However, the Chiefs forward’s low effort hit the side-netting after finding himself behind the Sundowns defence six minutes into the encounter.
As the match progressed, the Brazilians took control and they applied some pressure on the Chiefs defence which was marshalled by Erick Mathoho.
The visitors looked danegrous on the counter-attack and they came very close to breaking the deadlock in the 26th minute through Parker.
The forward burst into the Sundowns and he unleashed a powerful shot which hit the upright with Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango rooted to the ground.
Sundowns midfielder Tiyani Mabunda had a chance to make it 1-0 to his side, but he failed to direct his header goalwards from close range in the 34th minute.
The last goal-scoring opportunity of the first-half fell for Joseph Molangoane, who was denied by Onyango with a diving save and the score was 0-0 at the interval.
The deadlock was broken just five minutes after the restart and it was Siyabonga Ngezana, who made it 1-0 to Chiefs.
The 19-year-old defender, who was making his Absa Premiership debut, headed home Siphiwe Tshabalala’s well-taken set-piece.
The Brazilians then pressed Amakhosi and they were awarded a free-kick just outside the box seven minutes after the hour-mark.
Hlompho Kekana, who is Sundowns’ free-kick specialist, stepped up and fired the resultant free-kick straight into the Chiefs wall.
It was end-to-end stuff as Hendrick Esktein’s wonderful pass found Parker, who burst into the box and fired past Onyango to make it 2-0 to Chiefs in the 72nd minute.
Things went from bad to worse for Sundowns a minute later after Tiyani Mabunda received his second yellow card and he was sent off.
However, Sundowns managed to pull one back through Themba Zwane, who scored from the spot-kick in the 82nd minute after Chiefs defender Erick Mathoho had fouled Tau in the box and the hosts were awarded a penalty.
Sundowns then launched late attacks, but Chiefs stood firm at the back and ultimately, they secured a 2-1 win over their Gauteng rivals.
Sundowns (0) 1
Zwane 82′
Chiefs (0) 2
Ngezana 50′, Parker 72′
Sundowns: Onyango, Langerman, Arendse (Lebese 86′), Morena, Madisha, Mabunda, Kekana, Billiat (Malajila 83′), Zwane, Vilakazi (Manyisa 52′), Tau.
Chiefs: Khune, Cardoso, Mathoho, Ngezana, Zulu, Katsande, Maluleka, Ekstein (Zuma 78′), Tshabalala (Meyiwa 89′), Molangoane, Parker (Chirambadare 90+4′).
