Orlando Pirates and their equally ineffective arch rivals Kaizer Chiefs failed to light up the Absa Premiership Soweto Derby played before a sell-out crowd at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday where neither side managed to score in an uninspiring 90
minutes.
With both sides out of the running for league honours, the two Soweto giants were playing for third place and pride. It was the second successive 0-0 draw in the Soweto Derby.
As things stand, Chiefs move into third spot ahead of Santos on 45 points. Bucs have 43 points with one match remaining in their schedule. Bucs have now recorded five 0-0 draws in their last seven league matches.
Pirates suffered a setback before the kick-off when coach Ruud Krol disclosed that star midfielder Teko Modise had gone “missing” and had failed to attend training during the week. The rumour is that Modise is injured.
“I do not know where Modise is or if he is injured,” said Krol.
“The fact he did not attend training showed he did not want to play so I left him out. This is a team game and not about one player.”
But despite not having their midfield maestro unavailable, Pirates were the better side in the first half. The Buccaneers were faster to the ball and looked the more committed of the teams.
It was only towards the end of the half that Chiefs
finally got their act together and started putting Bucs under pressure.
Amakhosi had an early chance when Abia Nale beat the offside trap in the third minute after he latched on to a chip by Knowledge Musona that fooled the Bucs defence, but Pirates keeper Moeneeb Josephs did well to come quickly out of his penalty area and clear the ball before Nale was able to line up his shot.
At the other end, Chiefs keeper Itumeleng Khune did well to prevent Katlego Mashego opening the scoring with a shot on target in the seventh minute.
Then a minute later Bucs winger Dikgang Mabalane hit the Chiefs side netting with a good effort.
Amakhosi slowly came into the match and Zimbabwean teenager Musona headed a Josta Dladla free kick wide of the Bucs goal when he could have done better in the 32nd minute. A minute later Nale was wide with a left-footed shot.
But it was Chiefs’ Bafana Bafana left winger Siphiwe Tshabalala who blew a great chance to break the deadlock on the stroke of halftime when he wasted a tremendous cross from Jimmy Tau by
heading his captain’s shot well over the upright.
Josephs misjudged a speculative long range shot-cum-clearance from near the touchline just inside the Bucs half that he allowed to bounce out of his hands. Lucky for the Bucs keeper, no Chiefs
players were on hand to punish the mistake in the 56th minute.
Khune showed why he is regarded as the best goalkeeper in the country when he brilliantly fisted a powerful close-range header from Lucas Thwala over his crossbar in the 62nd minute as the Pirates defender rose to head a well directed free kick from Rooi Mahamutsa.
Bucs substitute Gert Schalkwyk — who replaced the tiring Bennett Chenene on the left wing — shot wide when he had his first sight at goal in the 77th minute.
Musona, with the goal at his mercy, volleyed Reneilwe Letsholonyane’s cross over the crossbar in the 83rd minute.
Two minutes later Amakhosi substitute Nkosinathi Nhleko header bounced off the post with Josephs beaten.
Pirates had a scare when Thomas Sweswe kicked Josephs after the Bucs keeper saved a shot from Musona in injury time. The Zimbabwean defender was lucky not to have been booked for the foul.
Fortunately Josephs was not badly injured. – Sapa