Stars sink Bidvest Wits

Johannesburg – In-form Free State Stars condemned defending league champions Bidvest Wits to a 1-0 defeat in an Absa Premiership match at the Bidvest Stadium in Johannesburg last night.

Bottom-of-the-log Wits, having only won two of their 15 league games to date, found themselves a goal down after 32 minutes, when Stars defender Tamsanqa Teyise volleyed home from a corner kick.

The match proved the irony of football with fifth-placed Stars, coming into the match off backto-back league wins over Orlando Pirates and Supersport United, battling to make headway in the final third of the field.

Besides the goal, all of the best chances in the match fell to the Clever Boys with former Cape Town City striker Lehlohonolo Majoro guilty of not converting several opportunities.

In the eighth minute, Majoro headed over the crossbar from a superb cross from midfielder Sifiso Myeni. In the 61st minute, the centre forward should have done better with his shot, but with midfielder Daine Klate in support, the ball ended up in the safe arms of Stars’ Ivorian goalkeeper Badra Sangare.

Majoro nearly got on to the score-sheet with just two minutes left on the clock, but after some fine build up work by Sfiso Hlanti, the former Kaizer Chiefs man pushed his shot wide.

With the win Stars move to 25 points from 16 games, and will host fellow high-riding side Cape Town City in their next league encounter next Saturday, while Wits, without a league win since October 22 against Baroka FC, remain rooted to the bottom of the table with 11 points from 15 games, and much soul-searching to do before they are at home to SuperSport United on Wednesday.

In Cape Town, Maritzburg United came storming back in the second half to secure a 2-1 win over Ajax Cape Town at the Cape Town Stadium.

Ajax, who had head coach Muhsin Ertugral watching from the stands as he waits for his work permit, made a decent game of it.

But with their incisive play, the visiting team were a class above and deserved winners on a warm evening in the Mother City last night. – ANA