Wits lift ABSA Premiership title |
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Champions Bidvest Wits lifted the 2016-17 season ABSA Premiership title in their final match which they lost 1-0 against Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday afternoon. The newly crowned champions still looked to be nursing their hangover celebrations as they struggled to hold onto the ball in the first half. Instead, Chiefs controlled the flow of play and had numerous chances in front of goal but could not take the lead before the break because of poor finishing. The Amakhosi created their first chance on goal in the seven minute when Gustavo Paez picked out Emmanuel Letlotlo with a right wing cross, but the striker headed over the target under no pressure from the Wits defence. Emmanuel Letlotlo was wasteful again in the 18th minute when he broke through on goal from the left, but he drove his 12-yard shot into the side netting with just Darren Keet to beat. In the 20th minute a free-flowing passing move from Chiefs result in Hendrick Ekstein finding space inside the box, but he also fired wide from close range with only the Wits goalkeeper to beat. Chiefs continued to dominate the game, but failed to find the back of the net before the half time break. The second half saw Wits playing the kind of football which win them the 2016/17 league championship. Eight minutes into the second half Vincent Pule almost gave Wits the lead when he curled a 20-yard shot just wide of the right-hand post. In the 58th minute we nearly saw an own goal when Vincent Pule drove into the box from the left-flank when his shot-cum-cross was deflected onto the crossbar by Lorenzo Gordinho. To be honest, Chiefs struggled to get hold of the ball in the early stages of the second half and only managed their first effort on goal just after the hour mark when Hendrick Ekstein fired over from long range. The match fell into a bit of a lull after that and looked to be heading for a draw, that was until Gustavo Paez found the back of the net in injury time after turning home a cross from substitute George Lebese, 1-0. Kaizer Chiefs (0) 1 (Paez 92’) Chiefs: Khune, Mphahlele, Cardoso, Gordinho, Masilela, Maluleka, Katsande, Ekstein (Lebese 79’), Letlotlo (Twala 54’), Moon (Molangoane 60’), Paez. Wits: Keet, Hlatshwayo, Khumalo, Klate (Vincent Pule 37’), Monare, Ngele (Sheppard 69’), Pelembe, Hlanti, Scott (Motshwari 45’), Keene, Gax Sourced from the PSL website. |
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