Late comebacks in both halves saved Jomo Cosmos as they climbed off the bottom of the Absa Premiership table after securing a 2-2 draw against title contenders Kaizer Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld in
Pretoria on Saturday.
Tinashe Nengomasha took the first chance of the game as early as the fifth minute, and while he sent his long-range effort wide, the Chiefs midfielder set the tone of the match.
Both sides pushed forward, with Cosmos dangerous on the counterattack, but the hosts dominated the first half hour.
Knowledge Mosuna came close to putting Chiefs ahead in the 18th minute after Cosmos defender Thapelo Tshilo was shown the first yellow card of the game by referee Matthew Dyer for a foul on Nkosinathi Nhleko, but Mosuna’s free kick hit the cross bar.
Three minutes later, however, Chiefs were rewarded when Nhleko set up the opening goal with a cross to Mosuna, who controlled it well with only Cosmos goalkeeper Avril Phali to beat. The Cosmos players thought Mosuna was offside, but replays showed the goal was legal and the home side took a well deserved lead.
Cosmos, however, continued to fight, and bounced back in the last minute of the opening stanza when they capitalised on a free kick after Elliot Rooi took down Bamuza Sono, with Tshilo finding the back of the net with a superb goal to bag the equaliser.
Chiefs retained control after the break, and midway through the second half midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala latched on to an Abia Nale pass to put his side 2-1 ahead.
Dyer suspended play for five minutes late in the second stanza, with rain and lightning forcing the players off the field, and when they returned Cosmos continued to push for another equaliser.
And in the final minute before extra time, a Sono corner found Tshilo, who passed it on to Siza Dlamini, who in turn headed the ball into the back of the net.
Cosmos are now one point ahead of last placed Mpumalanga Black Aces, although the bottom feeders have a game in hand as the battle to avoid relegation continues.
Chiefs, who have not beaten Cosmos at home since October 2003, clawed their way closer to the top of the table, but remained two points behind second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns who held two games in hand. – Sapa