SuperSport open race with win over Amakhosi
New Zealand import Jeremy Brockie scored the opening goal of the game and Dove Wome added a second as SuperSport United ended Kaizer Chiefs’ unbeaten run after 19 games with a 2-0 win at Peter Mokaba Stadium last night.
The result has thrown open the championship chase.
Chiefs are now only 10 points ahead of nearest challengers Bidvest Wits having had five points shaven off the lead they enjoyed last week when the league restarted after the break.
Brockie, with a second goal in as many games for his new club, took advantage of a defensive slip by Mulomowandau Mathoho to open the scoring just three minutes into the second half.
A high ball went over the head of the giant defender to allow Brockie, signed in the January transfer window, to squeeze home a header at the back post.
The goal galvanised the game after a slow first half with Chiefs having several good chances to equalise through a much better second half. But they failed to find the net and were caught in stoppage time at the end of the game as Thuso Phala set up Wome for the second goal.
Before that Bernard Parker had rattled the upright of SuperSport goal and Tefu Mashamaite saw a header go agonisingly wide. AmaKhosi found their luck had run out.
It has been a rocky start to 2015 for Chiefs getting a draw at Bloemfontein Celtic last week and only beating Botswana’s Township Rollers with a lastgasp goal in the African Champions League last Saturday.
Without Reneilwe Letsholonyane, whose father died on Monday night and who went home to be with his family, Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter switched his formation to three centre backs and two high flying wingbacks.
Initially he had Mandla Masango on the right and Tsepo Masilela on the left but Masilela broke down in the warm-up which meant Siboniso Gaxa went to the left hand side instead.
SuperSport countered by playing two strikers and two wingers and sought to push back Chiefs. However, it took a while to combat the quick pace that the league leaders showed whenever they had the ball.
The first half saw neither goalkeeper troubled although Mandla Masango had a good chance on the right when Parker slipped him a clever pass, while at the other end Phala was caught offside by Morgan Gould’s quick thinking so that when Brockie put Phala’s pass into the net, the linesman’s flag was already up.
Defender Kees Kwakman’s brace earned Bidvest Wits a clinical 2-0 Absa Premiership victory against Moroka Swallows last night at Dobsonville Stadium. Dutch centreback Kwakman scored from volleys in the 26th minute and 53rd minutes.
Gavin Hunt’s side lifted themselves above the inevitable scrap this match would be, played in a bleak setting in front of a few hundred supporters.
Hunt had Papy Faty, back from his long-term knee injury, in his midfield for a second start of the season.
Wits registered their second consecutive win since the restart from the Africa Cup of Nations break.
Wits were dominant enough in the first half to earn a single-goal lead.
The Clever Boys showed their intent when Sameehg Doutie volleyed over early on. They had a far better chance when Jabulani Shongwe fed Fikru Tefera at the near post from space on the left, the Ethiopian striker forcing a pointblank save from goalkeeper Greg Etafia.
They took the lead clinically, when, from Doutie’s corner Sibusiso Vilakazi flicked on and Kwakman side-footed in at the far post.
A rare chance fell to Swallows’ Felix Obada just before the break, but he shot into defender Onismor Bhasera.
Kwakman made it 2-0 just after the break with a classy close-range volley to Doutie’s cross from the left.
Swallows coach Fani Madida attempted to inject urgency bringing on Luyolo Nomandela and Siyabonga Nomvete. The pair did set up a good chance in the 70th minute, Nomandela feeding Nomvete in to force a save from Moeneeb Josephs. Larry Cohen’s free header from Lantshane Phalane’s freekick from deep was a foot over.
That was to provide the last blip of optimism for the mournful Birds fans in the stands. With Marc Strydom