Kaizer Chiefs suffered another blow at Rustenburg’s Olympia Stadium when they lost 4-2 to determined Limpopo-based outfit Silver Stars in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) encounter on Wednesday night.
This follows Chiefs’ 2-0 defeat to Jomo Cosmos in the Coca-Cola Cup two weeks ago. Wednesday night’s loss was the defending champions’ first league defeat of the season.
The teams were level 1-1 at the break.
Amakhosi were the first to draw blood when their prolific striker Louis Ageiyman scored in the 6th minute.
Owen de Gama’s boys changed gears and started to control the midfield, forcing the Chiefs defence to make mistakes.
Five minutes before the half-time whistle, Stars midfielder Dingaan Masanabo was brought down in the box by Chiefs goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez and referee Charl Theron pointed to the penalty spot. Defender Willem Jackson made no mistake to equalise.
In the second half, Chiefs opened the gap once more when striker Shongwe Chalwe scored via a header after a corner kick taken by Thabo Mooki, and John ”Shoes” Moshoeu flicked the ball on to Chalwe to make it 2-1.
The goal spurred Stars on to greater heights and in the 60th minute they equalised again through Katlego Mashego from a free kick to set up an intriguing last 30 minutes.
The goal came through frustration from Amakhosi defender Fabian McCarthy, who was sent off for a second bookable offence that ultimately cost his team. Mashego scored from the ensuing free kick.
Stars then rubbed salt into 10-man Chiefs’ wounds and started to control the game completely. In the 69th minute, they took the lead for the first time when Mashego completed his brace past Chiefs’ depleted defence.
The win was wrapped up in referee’s optional time when Stars’ Koketso Mmotong slotted his team’s fourth goal of a memorable night.
Pirates draw against Dynamos
Enigmatic substitute Lelo Mbele produced an 88th-minute equaliser for Orlando Pirates in the 1-1 PSL draw at a wind-swept Giyani Stadium on Wednesday night after Dynamos had appeared set to topple the current log leaders for long periods of the game.
An enterprising Dynamos took the lead through a dynamic, swerving 30m free kick from Isaac Leshabane in the 38th minute and frustrated the Buccaneers for long periods in the second half with resolute defending and sharp counter-attacks.
Pirates looked to be heading for a costly defeat until Mbele weaved his way through the Dynamos defence down the left flank and clinically placed the ball into the corner of the net.
Dynamos, however, missed several golden opportunities of cementing a victory with a second goal and were unlucky when the industrious Frank Makua struck the post in the opening half.
A game that started 45 minutes late finished with a gale-force wind blowing — having earlier displaced several advertising boards surrounding the pitch and causing a further brief delay.
With their position at the top of the log seemingly slipping from their grasp, desperate Pirates players resorted to several unsavoury infringements, with Tonic Chabalala, in particular, lucky not to be sent off for a second crude tackle after earlier receiving a yellow card.
Diminutive Benedict Vilakazi inspired Pirates’ revival with a string of calculated passed as the Buccaneers regained composure in the closing stages — and the equaliser was received with obvious relief from a pent-up, anxious, 10 000-strong crowd.
But 10th-placed Dynamos held out to gain a deserved draw after goalkeeper Arthur Bartman brought off a breathtaking late save.
Second win for Santos
Santos registered their second win of the season when they beat Tembisa Classic 2-0 in a PSL match played at the Athlone Stadium on Wednesday night.
Both goals were scored in the first half.
Classic ran their hearts out, but their distribution was poor and that left their midfield wide open and the home team capitalised.
They opened the scoring in the 13th minute when the Classic defence was ball watching as the pass came over from the left and Lebohang Kukane volleyed from the edge of the box to give Aime Kitenge in goal no chance.
Two minutes later, the visitors came close to equalising when Ignetius Madubanya’s shot was parried by goalkeeper Brenden Wardle and Edries Burton cleared just ahead of Bradley August.
Santos doubled the score in the 35th minute when Marawaan Bantam beat the defence to run unchallenged into the box. His shot hit the inside of the near past and slipped into the goal.
Four minutes later, Robert Nauseb’s powerful 30m drive hit the crossbar and came out.
In the 75th minute, Mpho Rashete was booked for the second time and he was sent for an early shower.
In the 87th minute, a cross came in from the right and Dipsey Selolwane turned and shot, but Kitenge dived to pull off a brilliant save. In optional time, Obinmar Okafor’s shot from 10m was superbly saved by Wardle.
Sundowns draw
Mamelodi Sundowns once again squandered an opportunity to go to the top of the PSL when they contrived to draw 2-2 against city rivals Supersport United at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday night.
After going into the half-time break down by two goals, Untied turned on the pace in the second half through midfield maestro Jabu Pule.
However, the man of the moment was Bafana Bafana striker Katlego Mphela, who scored twice to nullify Sundowns’ lead.
Sundowns had enjoyed better possession and opportunities in the first half, but their failure to convert led to their second-half capitulation.
In the latter stages of the match, United looked to steal victory but only through the resilient efforts of defenders Michael Manzini and David Kannemeyer were Sundowns able to hold on.
It was a slap in the face for the Sundowns fans who had enthused at the trickery and ingenuity of their team who scored two sublime goals in the first 45 minutes
The first came from the head of striker Jose Torrealba in the 12th minute and the second from a well-guided glance off the head of Surprise Moriri in the 33rd minute.
But Sundowns’ joy was short-lived as Mphela struck and Pule proved yet again that he is one of the most-sought-after players in South Africa.
A disappointing feature of this encounter was the sending-off of both coaches — Pitso Mosimane from Supersport and Angel Cappa from Sundowns — after the two traded blows an hour into the match. — Sapa