BAROKA HELD BY CHIEFS IN POLOKWANE
Kaizer Chiefs fought back to hold Baroka FC to a 1-1 draw in an Absa Premiership match at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday night.
The draw saw Bakgaka climb up to sixth place on the league standings, while Amakhosi move up to 13th spot on the table.
The match got off to a lively start with Amakhosi and Bakgaga both launching attacks in the opening exchanges.
Baroka threatened first through Mduduzi Mdantsane, whose long-range shot narrowly missed the target 13 minutes into the game.
Chiefs striker Leonardo Castro thought he had opened the scoring when he beat Baroka goalkeeper Ayanda Dlamini from close range.
However, the former Mamelodi Sundowns striker was ruled offside in the 25th minute as the visitors looked to break the deadlock.
Baroka head coach Wedson Nyirenda then made an early change two minutes later as Thabo Moseki was replaced by Collins Makgaka.
The hosts managed to break the deadlock with Chiefs defender Daniel Cardoso scoring an unfortunate goal in the 35th minute.
The former Free State Stars player headed the ball past Amakhosi shot-stopper Itumeleng Khune to make it 1-0 to Baroka.
Chiefs then pressed Baroka and they came close to leveling matters three minutes later when Castro’s low shot narrowly missed the target.
Parity was finally restored in the 43rd minute when Siphiwe Tshabalala beat Dlamini with a wonderful free-kick to make it 1-1 for Chiefs.
The score was 1-1 at the interval following a lively first-half in Polokwane.
Baroka were unfortunate not to restore their lead two minutes after the restart as Mpho Kgaswane’s low shot hit the crossbar and Chiefs cleared the lines.
Amakhosi also threatened through Gustavo Paez, whose header narrowly missed the target two minutes later with the Bakgaka defence exposed.
Ranga Chivariro should have scored for Baroka just after the hour-mark, but Cardoso produced a great defensive block.
Bernard Parker was introduced by Chiefs head coach Giovanni Solinas in the closing stages of the game as the visitors looked to snatch a late winning goal.
Both teams launched attacks in search of the winning goal, but they failed to score and ultimately, the game ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
Baroka (1) 1 (Cardoso 35′)
Chiefs (1) 1 (Tshabalala 43′)
Baroka: A. Dlamini, Kgoetyane, Gebhardt, Banda, Madubanya, Makume, Chawapiwa, Mdantsane, Chivaviro, Moseki (Makgaka 27′, Molapo 78′)), Kgaswane (Matloga 70′)
Chiefs: Khune, Mphahlele, Ngezana, Cardoso, Ntiya-Ntiya, Katsande, Ntshangase, Páez (Jayiya 64′), Billiat, Tshabalala (Parker 77′), Castro (Moon 84′).
