Santos conceded a late goal against Bidvest Wits at the Athlone Stadium on Friday night, forcing them to settle for a 1-1 draw.
Wits started the game well, having a chance on goal in the third minute when Tebogo Langerman fired in a shot at the near post, which was well saved by Santos keeper Francis Chansa.
The corner kick saw Langerman again threatening the Santos goal, as his header was cleared off the line by Graham King.
The People’s Team struggled to find their rhythm early on as several passes went astray and there was a general lack of cohesion in attack.
Wits had another good chance in the 17th minute when a clever set-piece routine saw Marawaan Bantam locate Tefu Mashamaite, but the lack of a composed first touch meant a great chance went to waste.
The Clever Boys were made to pay for their failure to deal with King’s 32nd-minute corner when Mogogi Gabonamong stole in unmarked at the back post to guide the ball over the line.
It took a while for the action to heat up after the restart as neither side was able to stamp their authority on the game, and a succession of careless mistakes were made.
Santos had several chances to wrap the game up, but paid the price as Bantam scored for Wits in the 87th minute from close range after Chansa spilled a high ball. — Sapa