Polokwane City defeated Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 in an Absa Premiership clash at a rainy Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday evening.
Rise and Shine claimed their first win over the Amakhosi in league and cup competition thanks to a second-half goal from Thapelo Tshilo. The result sees Chiefs stay in fifth place on 47 points, while sixth-placed Polokwane are now seven points behind.
Chiefs created the game’s first clear opening in the 12th minute when George Lebese broke through in attack, but his cross/shot flew across the face of goal and was no threat to ‘keeper George Chigova.
Just past the quarter hour mark Polokwane thought they had put Vusimuzi Mngomzeulu through on goal to be one-on-one with Itumeleng Khune, but the assistant referee’s offside flag pulled him up short.
The Amakhosi grew in strength as the half wore on and in the 38th minute they called Chigova into action again, with Keagan Buchanan’s attempted curler from just outside the box denied by a diving save from the ‘keeper.
The teams traded half-chances in the early stages of the second half, before Chiefs looked to bring more pace into their attack with the introduction of Gustavo Paez in place of Bernard Parker just past the hour mark.
City followed suit by replacing Walter Musona with Rendani Ndou, who had a great chance when he burst through the defence in the 74th minute, but his toke-poke at goal was well saved by Khune.
However, Chiefs’ poor defending from the subsequent corner kick was punished by Rise and Shine, with defender Thapelo Tshilo able to able to sweep home a low shot from close range to break the deadlock in favour of his team.
Rather than upping their game to fight back in the contest, it was Polokwane who looked the likelier scorers in the dying minutes, especially when Mngomzeulu’s deflected shot in the 88th minute drifted just wide of the target.
