Wits University showed new Castle Premiership champions Kaizer Chiefs little respect when the teams drew 1-1 in an entertaining final league match of the season played at the FNB stadium on Wednesday night.
The teams were level 1-1 at half-time.
With nothing at stake both teams played open attractive football and both coaches gave up-and-coming youngsters a chance. At the end of the freezing night, a draw was a fair result.
Chiefs started off like a house on fire. Amakhosi coach Ted Dumitru decided to field youngsters who had not played much during the season and that decision paid early dividends when Kaizer Motaung junior put Amakhosi into a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute when he chipped the ball over goalkeeper Wayne Roberts after the Chiefs youngster had collected a clever through ball from teammate Rene Richards.
Wits hit back and came close when one of their rising stars, Patrick Mtawali, was fractionally wide with a 20m shot in the 15th minute.
Chiefs ‘keeper Rowen Fernandez did well to save from Benson Mhlongo in the 30th minute. But Fernandez failed to prevent Wits captain Charles Yohane equalising in the 35th minute after Mhlongo’s shot hit the post and Yohane easily tapped into an empty net.
Chiefs should have had a penalty two minutes from the break when Lucky Mzizi was pushed inside the danger area by defender Neil Winstanley.
Roberts came to Wits’ rescue in the 77th minute when he did well to save a fiercely struck free kick form Richards.
Three minutes later Wits midfielder Sipho Mngomezulu was unlucky when his powerful shot inched fractionally wide of the upright nine minutes form time. — Sapa