SPORTMATTERS • RACING UNITED STYMIE CHIEFS Supersport score late to deny Amakhosi in stalemate
Masango 23, Masilela 90 og Tshabalala 14, 35
S(1) 2 (2) 2 IPHIWE Tshabalala, South Africa’s one-club man, rolled back the years here with two stunning goals for Kaizer Chiefs in his 300th appearance.
The Absa Premiership title might be slipping away this season but the one thing “Shabba” has proved in this campaign is that he’s not quite done dazzling us just yet.
With Amakhosi needing to respond against Supersport following their elimination from the Nedbank Cup by the same team and a 3-2 defeat that was incredibly deflating to their championship hopes when they were away to Cape Town City on Wednesday, Tshabalala, wearing this captain’s armband for the second time this week in Itumeleng Khune’s absence, led the way.
It’s rare that you find a player reaching the 300-game milestone at the same club in this country – when Lucky Lekgwathi did it at Orlando Pirates, he was already being sidelined to make way for the “future” even though he still had the legs.
Tshabalala, 32, has shown – on the evidence of the previous and current season, and particularly this week – that he still has more mileage in him.
Here in Nelspruit, where Chiefs desperately needed to win to try and keep up with log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, Cape Town City and Bidvest Wits, “Shabba” scored two sublime goals, sending the Glamour Boys into the lead at half-time.
The first was a replica of one of the two goals scored by Chiefs in the loss to City in the Mother City as he spotted goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse off his line and cleverly went for placement instead of power to break the deadlock.
He’d done the same a few days earlier in scoring the equaliser for Amakhosi at Cape Town Stadium.
And then Mandla Masango, an old Chiefs boy, provided an equally stunning goal to draw Supersport level, twisting defender Mulomowandau Mathoho and striking a finessed shot that beat the outstretched arms of young Bruce Bvuma between the sticks.
Amakhosi resisted the temptation to drop their heads, instead again taking the game to their title rivals to get a second – courtesy of Tshabalala, who took his time when receiving a low cross from Ramahlwe Mphahlele to curl the ball past Pieterse for the second time on the time. Madness.
That’s how your mark your 300th appearance for a club you’ve served with such dignity and professionalism.
Pity he had to be taken off shortly before the hour mark due to a thigh strain, but the applause from the crowd spoke volumes.
Tshabalala, who was replaced by Gustavo Paez, thought he’d probably done enough by then to ensure Chiefs cut the lead at the summit to just two points, although they have played two more games than Sundowns, who play Wits tomorrow in another potential title decider.
But Supersport struck late and spoiled the party with a last-gasp equaliser that came from the foot of substitute Aubrey Modiba but was helped in by Chiefs defender Tsepo Masilela.
The result was not what either side wanted as it’s not going to help their cause as far as the championship race is concerned.
In fact, perhaps it’s an outcome that proved Sundowns, City and even Wits, who blow hot and cold, are more deserving champions this season.
lpolokwane City recorded their third consecutive league win as they outplayed Free State Stars 2-1 at Goble Park in Bethlehem, which sent the hosts even closer to the relegation zone.
It took the Limpopo side just 40 seconds to open their account when midfielder Vusimuzi Mngomezulu right-footed home past Stars goalkeeper Thela Ngobeni for his second goal in as many matches.
Stars, who went into the match on 23 points in third-last spot, just one point ahead of Baroka FC and bottom-of-thelog Highlands Park, produced a courageous display as they attempted to get back into the match.
Defenders Bokang Thlone and Sinethemba Jantjie got in on the goal search action in forcing quality stops from City’s George Chigova.
The home team’s persistence paid off in the 36th minute when striker Goodman Dlamini headed home to level, with Chigova off his goal-line.
However, Stars had little chance to celebrate as the Polokwane side regained the lead in the 42nd minute when striker Rodney Ramagalela’s right-foot shot found the target for his ninth goal in the league.