/ 28 September 2008

Chiefs leave it late to snatch first league win

Two brilliant late goals earned Kaizer Chiefs their first points and first win of the Absa Premiership season when they defeated gutsy Ajax Cape Town 2-0 in a fast-flowing clash played at Loftus on Saturday night.

Both goals were gems rattled in from over 20m. The first was scored by magical Siphiwe Tshabalala three minutes from time, and then substitute Arthur Zwane — who had just come — on unleashed a 90th-minute bullet to make it 2-0.

Ajax can feel hard done by after hitting the Chiefs woodwork three times in an entertaining 90 minutes. But to their credit Chiefs, under a lot of pressure, dug deep into their reserves to earn their first three points of the season after two defeats.

The Urban Warriors, who finished runners up to SuperSport United last season, showed that despite losing key players in the off-season to European clubs, they are still going to be a force to be reckoned with this season.

Chiefs were obviously still feeling the effect of their marathon penalty shoot-out win over Mamelodi Sundowns in the final of the MTN 8 cup played in Durban on Tuesday night. Chiefs rode their luck in the final against Downs, who missed a number of sitters and eventually paid the penalty.

Chiefs started off well but it was Ajax who finished the stronger side in an entertaining first half in which missed chances once again highlighted the lack of strikers in the Premier Soccer League. — Sapa