Chiefs make it three wins out of three
Kaizer Chiefs brushed aside AmaZulu FC 2-0 in an Absa Premiership match at the FNB Stadium on Saturday evening.
Despite the victory, Amakhosi remained fourth on the league standings, while Usuthu also remained ninth on the table.
The hosts threatened first through Bernard Parker following a good move including Uganda international Godfrey Walusimbi.
Parker connected with Walusimbi’s exquisite cross from the left-hand side, but he placed his effort wide of the target six minutes into the game.
Amakhosi continued to create chances, with former South Africa international Parker making good runs into the Usuthu box.
Ramahlwe Mphahlele delivered a good cross for Parker, who placed his header over the crossbar in the 19th minute.
Pressure mounted on AmaZulu after the half-hour mark and Chiefs came very close to scoring. Usuthu goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs had to make a great finger-tip save to deny Lebogang Manyama, who was looking to score with a well-taken free-kick.
Chiefs’ versatile defender Leonardo Castro then hit the crossbar from the resultant corner-kick with the visitors caught ball watching.
Amakhosi kept pushing and they managed to break the deadlock through experienced defender Mphahlele in the 42nd minute.
The South Africa international volleyed past Josephs to make it 1-0 to Chiefs with from inside the AmaZulu box.
Chiefs were leading 1-0 at the interval following a lively first-half in Gauteng.
AmaZulu head coach Cavin Johnson made the first change of the game six minutes into the second-half.
Former Chiefs winger Ovidy Karuru replaced fellow attacker Augustine Ramphela as the visitors looked to level matters.
However, it was the Soweto giants who scored the next goal following a well-taken free-kick by Khama Billiat in the 58th minute.
The Zimbabwean attacker’s curling set-piece found Siyabonga Ngezana, who scored with a header to make it 2-0 to Chiefs.
Mabhuti Khenyeza and Emiliano Tade, who are both strikers by trade, were then introduced by KwaZulu-Natal giants as they pushed for at least two late goals.
Khenyeza had a glorious opportunity to pull one back in the 78th minute, but Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune made a great save to deny the forward.
Usuthu launched late attacks in search of a consolation goal, but Chiefs held on to their two-goal lead in the closing stages and they emerged 2-0 winners.
Chiefs (1) 2 (Mphahlele 42′, Ngezana 58′)
AmaZulu 0
TEAMS:
Kaizer Chiefs: Khune, Mphahlele, Ngezana, Cardoso, Walusimbi, Katsande, Ntshangase (Andrianarimanana 85′), Manyama, Billiat (Paez 90’+2), Zuma (Ekstein 80′), Parker.
AmaZulu: Josephs, Sikhakhane, M. Gumede, Nyongo, Mabiliso, Ncube (Tade 63′), Vilakazi, Sithebe, Ncobeni, Ramphela (Karuru 51′), Ntuli (Khenyeza 60′).
