Majestic Dolly inspires Chiefs first win
AFTER the pains of last season’s frustrations in the Premiership that led to Kaizer Chiefs supporters marching on to the club’s offices in Naturena, the Amakhosi faithful can start smiling again after a 2-1 win over Baroka FC yesterday.
There were times, particularly during the first half of yesterday’s match, that applause and vuvuzelas from an empty FNB Stadium could almost be heard purring in appreciation every time new signing Keagan Dolly touched the ball. Dolly’s vision is unparalleled in South African football and the 28-year-old through his movement, understanding of angles and beautifully precise passes raised Chiefs to a level where they were playing the champagne football of years gone by.
Baroka simply could not live with Chiefs, and in particular Dolly, in this rampant mood. From the moment Dolly signed from Ligue 1 club Montpellier ahead of the new season, Chiefs supporters– in fact all SA football fans – were anxiously waiting to see whether his arrival at the Soweto club would reinvigorate striker Khama Billiat after a previously disappointing campaign.
The reunion of two thirds of the magical “CBD” strikeforce was certainly rekindled in yesterday’s opening 45 minutes with Dolly teeing up his old Mamelodi Sundowns teammate with plenty of scoring opportunities.
Billiat took advantage of one, with the pass actually coming from Njabulo Blom on that occasion, as Chiefs roared into the lead within the first 10 minutes. By that stage Bernard Parker had already missed a chance with the gaping Baroka goal staring back at him after an early Oscarine Masuluke error.
Chiefs doubled their lead after 27 minutes when central defender Daniel Cardoso showed great ability to turn his body and head in an awkward position to deflect a Sifiso Hlanti cross into the far corner. At that stage the only remaining question seemed to be, how badly did Chiefs want to thump Baroka?
Billiat should have killed the contest over the course of the remaining 10 minutes leading up to halftime, with the Zimbabwean hitting the upright and also going past both posts that drew a wry smile from coach Stuart Baxter as the Englishman knew his team should have been enjoying at least a five-goal advantage at the break.
Chiefs’ lack of calmness in front of goal almost came back to haunt the home team after Baroka regrouped in the second half, as the visitors found a way to neutralise the ball getting to Dolly, who was eventually substituted for Austin Dube. They even found some rhythm of their own and managed to half the deficit when substitute Denwin Farmer struck a sweetly timed shot into the bottom corner of Bruce Bvuma’s goal. Baroka certainly provided Chiefs with some tense moments in the dying moments and could have drawn level when Richard Mbulu’s diving header ricocheted off the post, while Farmer had two further opportunities to bag a brace and the equaliser but it was ultimately Chiefs’ night to smile.