Some might look at it as ”six of the best” after Kaizer Chiefs completed the harrowing experience of drawing six successive Premier Soccer League (PSL) games during the goalless draw against Classic at Rustenburg’s Olympia Park on Wednesday night.
But for disgruntled Chiefs supporters who began trooping out of the stadium 10 minutes before the end, it was clearly ”six of the worst” as Amakhosi’s prospects of retaining the PSL championship took another tumble.
The champions now trail log leaders Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns by a hefty margin and the prospect of overhauling their main rivals is becoming bleak indeed.
And, in what must be construed as another uninspiring performance, Chiefs were fortunate not to concede a penalty in the 35th minute when goalkeeper Emile Baron mistimed his dive in the direction of the loose ball and brought down Classic’s James Mothibi instead.
This notwithstanding, Baron produced a superb display, highlighted by a glorious save from an overhead kick from Classic substitute Bradley August that seemed to be heading into the roof of the net like a precisely tuned rocket.
August, the former Bafana Bafana and Ajax striker, was signed by Classic only hours before the kick-off and immediately had the Chiefs’ defence in trouble after coming on to the field in the 60th minute.
And in one hectic period of five minutes, the Pietermaritzburg club who bought the franchise of Tembisa Classic in mid-season had Chiefs at full stretch with five successive corners.
At the other end, Burundian international goalkeeper Aime Kitenge performed in sterling fashion with fearless saves, while the succession of substitutions from Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp did little to help Amakhosi gain control.
Supersport beat Leopards
Supersport United beat Black Leopards 2-0 in their PSL game in Thohoyandou on Wednesday night. The visitors led 1-0 at half-time.
United midfielder Tony Tsabedze registered the first goal early in the first half, in a match played in front of a small crowd.
In the second half, United kept up the pressure — much to the obvious delight of their coach, Pitso Mosimane, who was thrilled with his team’s attacking play and tactics in moving relentlessly towards the Leopards’ goal mouth.
They were rewarded for their efforts midway through the second half when midfielder Sibusiso Mhlangu scored their second goal, giving Leopards goalkeeper Guy Mutshi no chance.
On the opposite bench, Leopards coach Baby Mutombo could only gaze in disbelief as his watched his team give away three valuable home points.
Stars, Ajax draw
Free State Stars registered their eighth draw when their PSL match ended 1-1 on a windy night at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Wednesday evening. Stars led 1-0 at the interval.
The visitors dominated the first half and certainly did not look like a team lying at the bottom of the table.
Ajax came close in the 11th minute when Franklin Cale passed to Wilfred Mugeyi, whose shot grazed the far upright. Three minutes later, Mohou Makopanela sent in a powerful shot from just outside the box. Moneeb Josephs fumbled the ball but retrieved it before any damage could be done.
In the 18th minute, Josephs brought off a brilliant save from a shot by Sifiso Vilikazi from 6m out.
In the 27th minute, the visitors had a good chance when Siphiwe Tshabadda ran down the left flank, beating several players. However, instead of crossing to team members waiting in the penalty box, he opted to fire at goal but missed.
Two minutes later, Stars took the lead when a panicking defence allowed the ball to go to Makopanela, whose soft shot trickled over the line.
The home side should have levelled the score in the 33rd minute when Henry Fanteni centred and Mugeyi, from 3m out, instead of tapping the ball in, fired high over the bar.
The home side pulled one back in the 59th minute when Bryce Moon put over a free kick from the left and Cyrille Mubiala rose high to header home.
Ajax were all over Stars in the second half, but could not pierce a solid defence that also tackled quickly.
Celtic lose at home
Bloemfontein Celtic may be a cup team of note, but their league showing has been poor, and this inconsistency was once again highlighted when they were defeated 1-0 by Swallows in an ill-tempered PSL match at home on Wednesday night.
Swallows led 1-0 at the break and their quest for a valuable three points away from home was helped by a needless red card when Celtic’s Elias Ngwepe kicked out in retaliation after being fouled.
That card, 10 minutes after the restart, was the fourth produced up until then, with three yellows used in the first period. Two Swallows players and one from Celtic were cautioned before the dreaded red came out.
That moment took the sting out of the match, with Celtic battling to break down Swallows, who in the end settled for the slender lead.
There was one more yellow to follow late in the game when Celtic’s John Maduka joined the others in the notebook.
Celtic were dealt one more cruel blow when they were awarded a penalty in the 80th minute after Siyabonga Nkosi was brought down in the box but the linesman’s offside flag stole the fleeting glimpse of parity.
The winner came in the 42nd minute when Namibian star Enrico Botes out-jumped the Celtic defence to head home from a corner. Apart from that goal and a few half chances, the match was more characterised by niggling incidents.
The worst came in the 35th minute when Celtic’s standout player Moses Spandeel was booked for diving in the penalty area.
One of the Swallows defenders then went eye to eye with the still-prostrate Spandeel, and most of the players then become involved in a shoving and tugging match. The result was only Spandeel’s booking, but the incident was an indication of the nature of the match.
Bafana Bafana midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi had the best chance to level matters for Celtic in the 70th minute, but his header went just over the bar.
Cosmos, Santos draw
Jomo Cosmos, playing their second official game at their new home ground, were held to a 1-1 draw by Santos in a hard-fought contest at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Wednesday afternoon. The Ezenkosi led 1-0 at half-time.
The home side took the lead as early as the fourth minute when the tall man from Senegal, Mamadou Diallo, scored with a low shot after a pass from midfielder Hellman Mkhelele, beating Santos goalkeeper Wayne Roberts in the far-right corner.
In the second half, both teams had a number of opportunities but just as Cosmos appeared to be heading for victory, Lebohang Kukane equalised in the 86th minute after a melee in the goal mouth.
To make matters worse for the home team, no-nonsense referee Lwandile Msiki gave defender Shere Lekgothoane his marching orders after a rough tackle on Kukane just two minutes before the final whistle.
This was the ninth draw for Santos in their 12 matches so far and they lie in the middle of the table. Cosmos, however, hover in the relegation zone.
Costly miss for Dynamos
A missed penalty late in the game proved costly for Dynamos as they lost 1-0 to Silver Stars in a derby played at the Giyani Stadium in Polokwane on Wednesday evening.
As the match came into the closing stages, Dynamos appeared to have the game at their mercy when they were awarded a penalty. However, disaster struck when Nicholas Mkhabela failed to get the ball into the net.
But worse was still to come as just one minute later, Stars grabbed the lead when Katlego Mashego scored from a free kick in the 87th minute. — Sapa