Kaizer Chiefs were let off the hook by Wits University at the Bidvest Stadium on Wednesday night while gaining only their third Premier League win in 17 games this season to vault four places into a flattering eighth position in the
log.
But, it must be concluded, the Wits side played distinctly dumb soccer and were their own worst enemies while going down 2-0.
Coach Roger de Sa’s tactics in basing his attack on an endless succession of high balls to ineffective striker Dale Studinski played into Chiefs’ hands and effectively squandered Wits’ 58% possession advantage in what was generally a game lacking in initiative and enterprise.
Yet, it was probably the horrendous missed tackle by Wits central defender Neil Winstanley in only the 11th minute that gave Chiefs a lifeline and turned the course of the proceedings. Former Bafana Bafana striker Shaun Bartlett then steered Onismor Bhasera’s determined cross into the net from close-range.
AmaKhosi’s sprightly second goal was scored by late substitute David Obua in the last minute of scheduled time with Wits pressing for an equaliser and looking as though it might take more than a month of Sundays for them to find the net.
There was a time when the Bidvest Stadium was considered patently too small to house a Chiefs’ game, but times have changed and, in spite of the proceedings being declared an all-ticket affair, thousands of seats in the 8 000 stadium remained empty.
Chiefs’ matter-of-fact coach Muhsin Ertugral was not carried away by his team’s hollow success and conceded a great deal of work remained.
But when a team is as badly in need of three points as Chiefs were before this encounter, it is safe to echo United States baseball coach Leo Durocher’s sentiment that ” a win is a win is a win”. – Sapa