Amakhosi put Matsatsantsa to the sword
KAIZER Chiefs fought back well from behind to overwhelm fellow title contenders SuperSport United yesterday.
Chiefs coach Steve Komphela was forced to change the defensive make-up of his team due to injuries and with an eye on Saturday’s MTN8 final against Ajax Cape Town.
Dove Wome’s 22nd-minute strike put SuperSport ahead. But goals from George Lebese (49th and 88th), Ivan Bukenya (57th) and Siphiwe Tshabalala (a 92nd-minute penalty) made for a commanding second half from Chiefs.
Matsatsantsa a Pitori had Dean Furman sent off for a second booking in the 78th minute after a foul on Tshabalala. Komphela brought in Lorenzo Gordinho and Keegan Ritchie for the injured Mulomowandau Mathoho and Tsepo Masilela.
Komphela also took a gamble in resting the protection to his back four, Willard Katsande. The defensive midfielder was a yellow card from a suspension for Saturday’s final, and was replaced by Bukenya.
Such changes might always be problematic against a clever attacking team like SuperSport. And intelligent SuperSport forwards Jeremy Brockie and Wome did pick holes in the Amakhosi defence in the first half.
A Brockie free kick led to Clayton Daniels’s long throw that fell to Wome to beautifully crack in a 24-metre drive past goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.
A goal just after the break settled Chiefs as they systematically worked their way back into the ascendancy. From a Khune punt upfield, Lebese latched onto a loose ball and chipped over stranded Ronwen Williams, who was on the edge of his area.
Amakhosi, looking their slick selves again after whatever Komphela had put right in the dressing room, made it 2-1 when Tshabalala’s free kick was slyly curled from left midfield to Bukenya, the Ugandan heading in.
After Furman’s dismissal, debutant Camaldine Abraw — who had replaced Siphelele Mthembu in the 79th minute — showed great skill teeing up Lebese for a third. Abraw went down under contact from Michael Boxall in injury time, and Tshabalala buried a fourth.
In other PSL games last night, Ajax Cape Town beat Polokwane City 2-1 and Bloem Celtic put two goals past Maritzburg United with no reply.