/ 25 August 2011

Chiefs top table, Pirates, Celtic slump

Chiefs Top Table

Kaizer Chiefs went top of the South African Premiership table on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory over Wits University.

It was the third consecutive win for the Soweto club since the season kicked off and came three days after the club chairperson said they were overdue a title.

Bloemfontein Celtic and Orlando Pirates — the other teams with perfect records after two rounds of the richest African national football league — lost away.

Pirates had former Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy sent off just before half-time and surrendered a lead to lose 2-1 against Maritzburg United.

Celtic could not recover from conceding an early goal to Platinum Stars and finished 2-1 losers in north-west mining town of Rustenburg.

Goal difference
Mamelodi Sundowns took advantage by dishing out a 4-0 drubbing to Moroka Swallows in Pretoria and climbing to second spot two points behind Chiefs.

Free State Stars edged Jomo Cosmos 1-0 at home and two goals in as many minutes gave former champions SuperSport United a 2-1 win at AmaZulu.

Stars and United have the same number of points as a Sundowns team coached by 1970s Dutch star Johan Neeskens, but trail on goal difference.

Golden Arrows are last after losing a bottom-of-the-table clash with Black Leopards 2-0 in northern city Polokwane.

Cape Town club Santos and Cosmos, coached by South African football icon Jomo Sono, are also pointless.

On the ball
After failing to score in 18 months, midfielder Josta Dladla notched his third goal is as many league games to give Chiefs a 54th-minute lead in Soweto.

Sibusiso Vilakazi pounced on a rebound to level only for new signing Lehlohonolo Majoro to snatch the winner with a looping header.

McCarthy, scorer of a record 31 goals for South Africa, put Pirates ahead midway through the first half with a clever flick off a cross.

But after an early caution for hand ball, he elbowed a Maritzburg player in first-half stoppage time and a second yellow card was followed by a red.

Diyo Sibisi equalised early in the second half and Senegalse Mor Diouf burst through the middle to nod home a free kick and give Maritzburg maximum points.

South Africa striker Katlego Mphela struck twice and Teko Modise and Musa Nyatama once each within 17 second-half minutes for Sundowns. — AFP