ANDREW MUCHINERIPI, Durban | Sunday 7.00pm.
Lucky Kaizer Chiefs snatched a 1-0 Bob Save Super Bowl victory over Manning Rangers at Chatsworth Stadium on Sunday thanks to a moment of stealth from Siyabonga Nomvete.
There appeared to be no immediate danger when Chiefs Namibian wingback Robert Nauseb held off a clumsy challenge from a Rangers defender and pushed the ball toward the six-yard box.
But as three Rangers defenders briefly assumed the roles of statues, Nomvete made a perfectly-timed late dash and stroked the ball between goalkeeper Grant Johnson and the near post.
An utterly forgettable quarter-final, which reduced even the normally vocal Amakhosi fans to silence for long periods, had been won at the death and Rangers coach Gordon Igesund struggled to hold back the tears.
Rangers were the better of two teams who betrayed their positions as leading clubs in South Africa with performances full of commitment (often too much) but woefully short of imagination.
Adding to the misery for the large crowd was surprisingly poor officiating from referee Achmat Salie, who did not notice Gary Goldstone controlling the ball with his arm eight minutes before full-time.
The importance of the occasion seemed to overcome the sides and Chiefs played into the hands of Rangers by thumping the ball up the field and discarding the superior footwork of their midfielders.
It was a cup tie that did not provide even one clearcut chance until Bafana Bafana striker Nomvete for once lost his markers. Chiefs’ reward is a home semi-final against Bush Bucks with Sundowns hosting AmaZulu in the other tie.