Misfiring Chiefs donate points to TTM
RELEGATION-haunted Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila scored a smashand-grab 2-1 win over 10-man Kaizer Chiefs with an injury-time penalty in their Premiership clash at Peter Mokaba Stadium last night.
It looked like an injury-hit Chiefs, who played half the match a player down following Njabulo Blom’s red card just before half-time, would salvage a draw. But Chiefs central defender Siyabonga Ngezana lost his balance in a goalmouth melee and inadvertently handled the ball, and TTM’s Thabo Mnyamane scored from the resultant penalty.
It was the perfect dress rehearsal for TTM, who will be playing in Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final.
The final result remained a lottery until the whistle as both sets of defences looked decidedly vulnerable in the closing stages.
Earlier, Chiefs midfielder Blom found the going tough and committed a second yellow-card offence in the 38th minute and was given his marching orders.
Three minutes later it was a case of one man down, one goal down for Chiefs after midfielder Thabo Rakhale opened the scoring with a brilliant volley, with two Amakhosi defenders trying to dispossess him.
Rakhale had taken the ball on his chest after an upfield kick from Mnyamane, who moments before struck the crossbar from a free-kick.
Play at the start of the second half was fast and furious and both teams had two gilt-edged scoring chances in a frenzied 15-minute spell. Chances fell to the Chiefs duo of Lebogang Manyama and striker Samir Nurkovic.
At the opposite end, TTM striker Celimpilo Ngema was well placed in the goalmouth but lacked the finishing touch to make his mark.
The turning point came just past the hour mark when referee Victor Hlungwani awarded Chiefs a penalty, but only after consulting his fellow match officials. Hlungwani was in the spotlight recently when, justifiably, he awarded four penalties in a match.
The penalty came after TTM central defender Ayanda Nkili fouled Nurkovic in front of the posts.
TTM goalkeeper Washington Arubi saved Manyama’s spot-kick but failed to hold on to the ball, and in a flash, Manyama pounced on the rebound and scored with a tame shot from an acute angle.
Chiefs came within a whisker of taking the lead but this time the crossbar rescued TTM as it held out Bernard Parker’s blistering shot in the 75th minute.
This missed chance came back to haunt Chiefs after TTM scored an injury-time winner.