Amakhosi mission kicked in the teeth
THE prospect of not playing continental football for a second season on the trot grew bigger for Kaizer Chiefs as they look set to finish outside of the top three.
Amakhosi were humbled 1-0 by a determined Polokwane City at a wet, windy Peter Mokaba Stadium last night with veteran defender Thapelo Tshilo slotting home the only goal with 15 minutes left.
It was City’s first Premier Soccer League win over Chiefs after seven attempts yielded four wins for Amakhosi and three draws.
The defeat, their fifth of the season to go with 12 draws, stretched Amakhosi’s winless run to four matches and leaves them five points behind third-placed Cape Town City and 10 points adrift of leaders Bidvest Wits with two matches remaining.
Chiefs remain in 5th on the Absa Premiership standings and are almost certain to miss out on Africa’s second-highest continental club competition — the Confederation Cup — next season.
For a team that harbours ambitions of conquering the continent, to miss out on African football for the second season running, coupled with failing to win silverware since Steve Komphela took over the hot seat two years ago, will heap pressure on the coach.
The team that finishes third on the log qualifies for the Confederation Cup and the champions and runners-up take part in the premier competition, the Champions League.
But the former club captain has had a public vote of confidence from chairman Kaizer Motaung.
Having last played a week ago, both sides went into the match with fresh legs looking to pick up crucial points but they struggled to create clear-cut opportunities in the opening half.
Barring a Joseph Molangoane missed header with only the keeper to beat and a Sipho Jembula header which forced Itumeleng Khune into a spectacular save, there was really nothing to write home about in the first half.
Chiefs enjoyed the lion’s share of possession after the restart with Molangoane and George Lebese causing problems for the home defence but could not find the penetrating pass that leads to a goal.
Hendrick Ekstein should have put Chiefs in front on the hour mark after being well set up by a clever Lebese pass behind the defence but he was denied by George Chigova in the Polokwane goal.
Molangoane also had a chance to break the deadlock as Chiefs upped the tempo in search of the opening goal but it was Tshilo who arrived late at the far post to tap in and hand Rise and Shine their ninth win of the season and guarantee a place in next season’s MTN Top 8.