Moon keeps Chiefs’ title hopes alive Doc turns down coaching job at Baroka
At FNB Stadium
● Ryan Moon continued to sustain Kaizer Chiefs among Absa Premiership title chasers when his goal moved Amakhosi to second spot and gave them a vital victory over Cape Town City at FNB Stadium last night.
The victory kept Chiefs’ title hopes alive, reducing the gap between Steve Komphela’s team and Mamelodi Sundowns to four points with nine matches left for Amakhosi.
Moon has been a constant hero for Chiefs of late, his 47th-minute strike last night being the fourth of the season in six matches.
The young striker, who could have scored a hat-trick last night, is now Amakhosi’s leading scorer despite having started to play only this year after beginning the season with an injury.
In a match that had many clear-cut chances for both sides in the second half, Moon's goal had fortune written all over it.
He was at the end of his partner Leonardo Castro’s pass in the box, with City defender Tara Fielies guilty of letting a harmless ball go past him and freeing Moon to beat his keeper Sage Stephens with a low shot.
The Citizens coach, Benni McCarthy, applied a cautious approach, starting with only Matthew Rusike up front, only supported by Thabo Nodada and wingers Lyle Lakay and Craig Martin only when they had the ball.
City’s plan was not to help their own title ambitions in the end as the defeat left them seven points off Sundowns.
McCarthy's counterpart Komphela decided to start with the team that defeated Golden Arrows 3-0 here in a cup game last week.
Siphelele Ntshangase and Willard Katsande had chances to score for Chiefs in the first half, but their haste let them down.
The only real save was produced by Chiefs keeper Itumeleng Khune, who did well to parry Teko Modise's 20m scorcher away for a corner.
Given both teams’ lack of scoring in the league despite their lofty position on the log, a high-scoring affair was never on the cards.
When these teams met in round one in Cape Town in September, Chiefs won 2-0, courtesy of Siphiwe Tshabalala and debutant Wiseman Meyiwa’s goals. bbk@sundaytimes.co.za
● Doctor Khumalo has turned down an offer of the coaching job at Baroka Football Club.
Khumalo, hired by the Limpopo club as a technical director in August last year, told the Sunday Times he declined to step into the space created by the suspension of Kgoloko Thobejane because he doesn’t “want to rise at the expense of other people”.
In early February the Baroka club suspended head coach Thobejane, who it was alleged was drinking in the team bus. It is said to have happened when the Limpopo side was on a road trip returning from a 2-0 defeat by Free State Stars in a Premier Soccer League match in Goble Park, Bethlehem.
When officials inquired whether he would be interested in the job, Khumalo, 50, said no.
“They did ask me to take over after I was informed about what allegedly happened — because I was not aware of it. I don’t want to rise at the expense of other people.
“This is a serious matter. I wish we could reverse the whole thing. He [Thobejane] was a fun guy to work with. I was learning from him and he was learning from me.
“I felt it would be proper for the assistant coach to be given the opportunity.”
The void has been filled by assistant coach MacDonald Makhubedu, who is being aided by Thoka Matsimela, head coach of the MultiChoice Diski Challenge team.
Khumalo did not rule out taking the Baroka hot seat under different conditions.
“I didn’t come here to boot anyone out of a job. If it is offered because there is a vacancy, then we can talk,” he said. “That way I’m starting on a clean slate, in a new season it would be great.
“As a qualified coach it would be proper to consider that post because I would not be trampling on someone’s toes.”
Khumalo has levels one, two and three coaching badges from the South African Football Association (Safa), an English Football Association licence as well as the Uefa B licence obtained through the German Football Association.
He had a short stint as co-caretaker head coach with Donald “Ace” Khuse when Kaizer Chiefs suspended Muhsin Ertugral in 2003.
Having cut his coaching teeth with the Chiefs under-17 development team, Khumalo worked as an assistant coach to Ertugral.
He was second-in-command to Steve Komphela until his move to Baroka six months ago.