OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 9.30am.
SUNDOWNS kept their hopes very much alive of retaining the Castle Premier League title when they outplayed AmaZulu 3-1 at the King’s Park Rugby Stadium in Durban on Wednesday night.
Kaizer Chiefs must play Dynamos, and Sundowns have two games in hand to make up the six points separating them from the leaders. Chiefs’ 2-1 win over Santos yielded no change in the log, and if they beat Dynamos they will be untouchable.
AmaZulu and Sundowns were level 1-1 at half-time after AmaZulu had opened the scoring against the run of play in the 14th minute when Simon Magagula ran at the Sundowns defence and sent in a low shot which goalkeeper John Tlale rejected. An alert Alban Newman snapped up the chance in the follow up by hitting the loose ball into the net.
The equaliser came two minutes into injury time when Isaac Shai shredded the AmaZulu defence and goalkeeper Pelewe Delamogo touched but failed to hold his slicing shot. Shai, following up, beat Delamogo to the loose ball and pivoted to steer the ball over the goalline.
The champions took the lead in the 66th minute when Shai sent in a low cross from the left which was missed by everyone in the AmaZulu goalmouth except Alex Bapela on the far post who cut in to score the easiest of goals.
KAIZER Chiefs, meanwhile, beat Santos 2-1 in an entertaining Premier Soccer League match at the Johannesburg Stadium on Wednesday night to strengthen their title chances.
Chiefs captain Neil Tovey scored in the 25th minute from a place-kick taken by Doctor Khumalo and the game went to the break with the Amakhosi leading 1-0.
But Jerome McCarthy equalised for Santos taking a pass from John Mbidzo and beating Chiefs’ goalkeeper Brian Baloyi in the 54th minute. Two minutes later, Chiefs regained their lead when Martin Zwane fired home a brilliant goal ruining substitute goalminder Brandon Prince’s night.
ORLANDO Pirates beat Dynamos 3-0 in their Premier Soccer League match at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday night and a loss by the Venda-based outfit sealed their fate to the MTN division in the next season.
Dynamos have 29 points and are left with a game against Kaizer Chiefs.
The team never gave Pirates a worry, and when Andries Sebola started the scoring in the 56th minute, ht handwriting was on the wall. Sibusiso Zuma finished a Thabo Mngomeni pass at the 79 minute mark to make it 2-0, and Sebola finished the job in the 81st minute with the third strike.