Chiefs fight back
Late winner ends Amakhosi’s dismal streak
COMETH the hour, cometh the man was Willard Katsande’s motto when his injury-time rocket gave Kaizer Chiefs a hard-earned 3-2 win against Polokwane City.
Chiefs had to fight their way back from a goal down, but such are their poor levels of confidence, they allowed Luc Eymael’s side to equalise before Katsande pulled the proverbial rabbit from the hat.
Had Chiefs not been able to extricate themselves from the quicksand they have been finding themselves in, they would have gone nine games without a win.
Another defeat would have placed Chiefs coach Steve Komphela under enormous pressure.
With Chiefs’ last victory dating back to the 2-0 win against Ajax Cape Town on October 15, Komphela’s rather lengthy lexicon would have soon run out of adjectives to describe his team’s impotency and their inability to conjure a positive result.
Fortunately, his midfield hardman provided Komphela with the muchneeded break. When Rodney Ramagalela’s 30th-minute shot wormed its way past Brilliant Khuzwayo, it was due reward for a side that saw little of the ball, but made the most of it when it came their way.
Had Ramagalela not had a 23rd-minute penalty saved by Khuzwayo after Katsande brought Puleng Tlolane down, it could have been an ugly first stanza for the Amakhosi.
Polokwane came into the game being fourth on the log with 21 points from 13 games and played like a side in the top five.
They allowed Chiefs, who at times ran like headless chickens, to come at them and soaked up the pressure before catching them on the counter.
That was the case when Tlolane was tackled illegally as Chiefs’ defence was struggling.
Ramagalela’s atoning goal was a case of the striker being afforded too much space, something Chiefs’ defence is not renowned for.
There was also the small matter of Chiefs being denied a legitimate penalty when Thabiso Semenya handled the ball in the box, but referee Victor Hlungwani saw things differently.
The already edgy Chiefs faithful, who have endured their team’s pain, became apoplectic.
It took Chiefs until the 62nd minute to find the equaliser, which came via Bernard Parker’s header after Siphiwe Tshabalala’s delightful cross.
Parker turned provider for Molangoane’s first Chiefs goal nine minutes later when the former Bafana Bafana forward found space and put in a good cross that Molangoane blasted past the helpless George Chigova.
Suddenly, there was a fluency and confidence in Chiefs’ game that was last seen in their 1-1 draw against SuperSport United on November 23.
While they were unfortunate to lose first-choice right back Ramahlwe Mphahlele to injury early in the second half, his absence went unnoticed until Tlolane rocked up with City’s equaliser in the 83rd minute.
However, the fat lady had not sung yet and Katsande still had his say, and the Chiefs faithful made sure the stadium felt like it was packed to capacity.