OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Wednesday 12.00pm.
THE penultimate Premier Soccer League match of the season served up a thrilling battle between arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at Ellis Park on Tuesday night, with Chiefs holding the Buccaneers to a 2-2 draw.
The match, which had little bearing on the league title, saw BobSave Super Bowl champs Sundowns knuckle down brilliantly to keep the marauding Buccaneers at bay.
The Amakhosi were reduced to 10 men after only 30 minutes when Robert Nauseb was sent off for a second bookable offence in front of a capacity crowd.
Chiefs scored both their goals through Siyabonga Nomvete, including a controversial penalty which saw them regain their lead 15 minutes into the second half.
Pirates scored through Dennis Lota, who took home R40000 for finishing top of the striker with 18 goals for the season, and Phumlani Mkhize who equalised with a thrilling left-footed drive that had the crowd in raptures.
Nomvete drew first blood for Chiefs in the opening minute when headed a Nauseb cross past Pirates ‘keeper William Okpara. The Buccaneers wasted no time in equalising, and a minute later Lota scored from a brilliant spell of work by Joseph Ngake.
Pirates should have been at least a goal up by half-time, but Chiefs held their composure in a scintillating first-half. The Amakhosi came out with all their guns blazing in the second half, and a rough challenge by Okpara saw Nomvete blast home from the same spot that clinched the Super Bowl four days earlier.
Pirates regrouped after the goal and Mkhize tied the scores when he took control of a loose ball on the edge of the area.