A resurgent Kaizer Chiefs came off the canvas like a boxer of true grit to gain a last-gasp, but merited, 2-2 Premier League draw with Jomo Cosmos at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Amakhosi trailed 2-0 after only 19 minutes through the inimitable skills of ace Zambian goal-scorer Christopher Katongo, who bemused the Chiefs’ defence in the 10th and 19th minutes and then performed his traditional celebratory gymnastics after each of his clinical goals.
Chiefs immediately made clear their intentions not to surrender without a fight when former Bafana Bafana striker Shaun Bartlett reduced the deficit in the 20th minute with a perfectly timed, half-volley from an Arthur Zwane cross.
Then, after a sustained period of pressure in the second half, Chiefs finally equalised in the 88th minute through a glorious, 20m piledriver from late substitute Kaizer Motaung Jnr.
Chiefs, in fact, should have been awarded a penalty in the 70th minute when Sammy Magalefa brought down the self-same Motaung Jnr, who suffered the mortification of receiving a yellow card instead for assimilating an infringement.
And while Chiefs will, no doubt, experience a good deal of relief from their ”great escape”, their start to the Premier League programme, with three successive draws, is not exactly the inspiring start the Amakhosi might have contemplated.
Nor could coach Ernst Middendorf been happy with the form of durable defender Cyril Nzama, who was substituted within the opening half-hour. Cosmos appeared to err in resorting to a negative, defensive approach in the second half in attempting to hold on to their lead and repeatedly surrendered the ball to a Chiefs side who probed for goals like a swarm of bees.
And the Cosmos defence enjoyed a charmed life in the closing stages when only goalkeeper Walter Khumalo’s acrobatics prevented Chiefs from scoring on several occasions.
A game that oozed action and inventiveness in the first half shed much of its inspiration in the second period as Cosmos lost their touch.
And the surprisingly poor crowd at a Chiefs game endured periods of extreme anxiety before what was to prove the fourth successive Premier League draw between the teams.
In other games played on Wednesday, Wits and Ajax Cape Town drew 1-1, Supersport United overcame AmaZulu 2-0 and Golden Arrows beat Sundowns 1-0. — Sapa