NDORO SPANKS CHIEFS
Amakhosi lose last chance of winning a trophy this season
At FNB Stadium KAIZER Chiefs coach Steve Komphela bravely took responsibility and shielded his players from blame for his side’s Nedbank Cup first round defeat to Orlando Pirates.
The defeat sees Chiefs likely to end Komphela’s first season at Amakhosi without a trophy. Chiefs lost in the two previous cup finals – 1-0 against Ajax Cape Town in the MTN8 then 31 to Mamelodi Sundowns in the Telkom Knockout.
Third-placed Amakhosi, who have a game in hand, have only a slim chance of reeling in a 13-point gap from leaders Mamelodi Sundowns to defend their Premier Soccer League title, in a last small chance at silverware in 2015-16.
“A match that at no stage any side should have lost – and we gave it away,” Komphela lamented after his side dominated possession, but conceded defeat to Tendai Ndoro’s 76th and 84th-minute strikes.
“I will be the first one to take responsibility. And I would hope that everyone in the dressing room would acknowledge that there is no way you could lose a match of this nature.
“You play well in the first half. Create chances even in the second half. And then you concede two goals.”
If Ndoro had begun to earn hero status with Pirates’ “Ghost” in the stands with a brace in a 3-1 win against Mpumalanga Black Aces in Nelspruit two weeks ago, he went a long way to becoming their darling yesterday.
The slick Zimbabwean striker – a bit-part player in Bucs’ battling season while Kermit Erasmus and Thamsanqa Gabuza were in form early on – struck twice in the second half to keep Pirates’ chances of a trophy in 2015-16 alive.
Only 50 000 tickets were sold for the fifth – including the preseason Black Label Cup – Soweto derby this season. In tough economic times filling 94 000-seater FNB five times in a season for the same match is proving a challenge for the PSL.
If the build-up to the match in the press, and the reaction of the fans, was somewhat tired, so to some extent was the action on the field.
Chiefs were the better structured side and shaded play overall, but Pirates’ frontline always looked the more dangerous when threatening Amakhosi’s penalty area.
The two teams came into the game in varying degrees of improved form.
Pirates had won two in a row to edge up to seventh place in the PSL.
Chiefs had found a greater fluency to their game in their last 10 matches, only a fine goalkeeping performance by George Chigova denying Amakhosi a sixth straight league win in their 1-1 draw against Polokwane City here on Saturday.
Bucs started brightly. Ndoro beat two defenders, forcing a save from Reyaad Pieterse.
From Ndoro’s ball across goal Gould made a crucial in-
GOODBYE CHIEFS: Two-goal hero Tendai Ndoro and Ayanda Gcaba of Pirates celebrate their side’s second goal in yesterday’s derby tercept when Gift Motupa only had to finish into an open goal.
Bernard Parker took Kgotso Moleko’s chip on his chest but the Chiefs forward was hesitant and could not produce a shot or find a teammate with a pass. Siphiwe Tshabalala’s curling shot was parried by a diving Brighton Mhlongo.
George Maluleka’s chip was touched on by Tshabalala to Parker and the out-of-touch striker had time to steady himself but still shot wide.
After the break Maluleka had two players free alongside him, but could not get his pass away, symptomatic of Chiefs’ indecision in good positions.
Chiefs appeared to hold an ascendancy. But Pirates broke the deadlock when, after substitute Thabo Qalinge’s run on the left of the area was blocked, Mpho Makola’s deft chip in found Ndoro in a huge gap. The Zimbabwean controlled and smashed in on the half volley.
Ndoro sealed his newfound love affair with the Pirates faithful when, after a touch on by Qalinge from a freekick on the left the striker took the ball on and hit a stinging, skidding low curling drive that fooled its way between Chiefs keeper Pieterse and the right upright.
Filling FNB Stadium five times in a season for the same match is a challenge