Like a spoilt child, Chiefs watch as Raja run away with costly toys

at Moses Mabhida Stadium KAIZER Chiefs were again shown up to be continental punching bags as they let Raja Casablanca walk away with a victory on the road.

Away goals are crucial and Chiefs have made things difficult with the tough task of having to win decisively away in Casablanca to advance to the next round. Chiefs are yet to familiarise themselves with the nuances of continental football, which manifested in their need to do too much with the ball.

Pretty football has no place in the continental game and Amakhosi did not seem to have the stomach for trench warfare.

Raja were tactically disciplined and showed that continental experience is not bought over the counter.

One of the golden rules of continental matches is not to concede goals at home and that happened in the sixth minute when Christian Osaguona nodded in Yassine Salhi’s free kick.

For a team that is so lethal at executing set pieces, Chiefs are equally as deficient at defending them. Clearly lessons were not learnt from Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at Maritzburg United when they let an opponent ghost into the box unmarked and profit from a free header.

It left Chiefs with the task of finding goals to make their lives easier when they travel to Morocco in three weeks’ time but even that seemed beyond them.

Then again, they have scored only one goal in five matches since the start of the year. Chiefs have a goal-scoring problem but like a parent who spares the rod for their naughty child, they do not want to admit to it.

For all their crowd-pleasing aesthetics, Chiefs did not create much in the first half. They had a series of corners between the 25th and 27th minute, which stemmed from a Siphiwe Tshabalala long-range shot that required Raja goalkeeper Khalid Askri to make his only significant save. Mandla Masango, Tefu Mashamaite and Siboniso Gaxa all had chances but their radars were malfunctioning.

Through Tshabalala and Tsepo Masilela, Chiefs were able to construct a freeway which bypassed Abdeljalil Jbira on the left flank and they came to life in the second half. They created chances for Bernard Parker and Katlego Mphela but the goal- scoring primate on Chiefs’ back had applied extra strong super glue.

Mphela should have buried his 65th minute chance but the shot went narrowly wide while Parker’s first touch eluded him in the 54th minute.

Raja were content to soak up the pressure and in the few times they went forward, they did so with real purpose.

Osaguona should have made it two in the 49th minute when Chiefs had a defensive brainfade but Brilliant Khuzwayo responded with a good save.

Chiefs’ profligacy in front of goal was summed up by the two late chances fluffed by Tshabalala and substitute Siphelele Mthembu. The Casablanca battle awaits and a small section of Raja fans lit flares, giving Chiefs a taste of what to expect.