Nkosi sees Chiefs through comfortably
KAIZER Chiefs struck within the first half-hour and then never looked back, seeing off Township Rollers with a clinical performance to progress past the first hurdle and preliminary round of the 2015 Caf Champions League.
Siyabonga Nkosi’s 29thminute goal, a sweetly connected shot from inside the area, gave Chiefs an early 3-1 aggregate lead and a comfortable enough afternoon in the Botswana capital Gaborone, just over the border from SA’s North West province.
The match was played before a capacity 22 000 crowd at Botswana National Stadium.
After a flat, unconvincing performance in the first leg Chiefs played to a level of concentration and focus away from home that will boost their confidence in being able to progress through two more rounds to reach the round-robin stage.
Though they enter big-name African football club territory in the next round, almost certainly against Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca (who have a 4-0 lead to defend against Diables Noirs in Congo today), which is where the Champions League really starts to get real for Amakhosi.
Chiefs responded with an authoritative display to Rollers’ sabre-rattling and statements during the week that the 2013 SA champions and current league leaders are ordinary.
Amakhosi head coach Stuart Baxter continued to rotate — though with the slender scoreline, and Rollers having shown they are a decently organised side under Zimbabwean coach Madinda Ndlovu, on a small scale. Siyabonga Nkosi started in central midfield behind two strikers in Bernard Parker and Matthew Rusike.
For Rollers the skilled, educated playmaker Boy Segolame’s performances over the two legs are sure to have caught the eye of Premier Soccer League clubs.
Ndlovu started with his strongest lineup, and the same one that took the field two weeks ago at FNB Stadium.
In the first leg, Chiefs had started like a racehorse out of the stalls, earning Rusike’s sixth-minute goal and a string of chances, but then lost concentration and direction in their play.
Tefu Mashamaite’s injurytime goal eventually saved their blushes after Segolame’s equaliser just after the break.
In Gaborone it was a more measured though equally forceful start from the South Africans. They dominated possession and territory with some precision passing and a suffocating ability to win the ball in midfield.
Some well-worked attacks resulted in clear chances, the first coming as early as in the opening 20 seconds. Nkosi intercepted a loose pass and threaded the ball through to Parker, who turned and forced a save from Rollers goalkeeper Mwampule Masule.
Parker skipped free of his marker at the left goal-line and crossed perfectly to Siphiwe Tshabalala who opted for the spectacular with a flying volley into the sky when a simple, welldirected header seemed the better option.
Rollers centre-back Obuile Ncenga’s long throws and Segolame’s accurate free-kicks tested the Chiefs defence. But a back four that opened unusually often in the first leg were firm in the clearance. The Botswana champions never managed a chance on goal in the first half.
And, with the run of play, Amakhosi took the lead. Tshabalala’s cross was chested by Rusike into the path of Nkosi, who slammed a finish past Masule.
A few runs by Segolame early in the second half came within a foot or two of the assistant referee’s flag of breaching the Chiefs back four.
And a header by defensive midfielder Maano Ditsupo in the 58th really should have gone in, at a stage when Rollers needed a goal to get back into the game. Chiefs, though, managed to regain their shape and absorb pressure without too many more mishaps.