Chiefs survive penalty scare
LAST-16: SOLINAS’ MEN ON TARGET FROM PENALTY SPOT
Coach flirted with danger by making seven changes.
First title in three years remains a possibility for Kaizer Chiefs after they beat Black Leopards at the FNB Stadium yesterday afternoon to reach the quarterfinals of the Telkom Knockout.
Amakhosi however took the hard route as they won 4-2 on penalties after the match ended 1-1.
Solinas, who had said he didn’t underestimate any team, seems to have had Leopards’ league position in his mind when he started with a weakened team as he made seven changes to his regular team – and he almost paid the price for it. The match was end-to-end
stuff and Mwape Musonda should have given the visitors an early lead when he was set through on goal just a minute into the match but his first touch was a bit heavy and allowed Virgil Vries to overhaul him.
Pule Ekstein also had a chance a few minutes later as he ran through the Leopards defence but his left-footed effort was tame and King Ndlovu easily dealt with it.
Musonda was in the thick of things again but luck deserted him in the 25th minute when he must have thought he had opened the scoring but his header ricocheted off the crossbar and away from goal.
It was Phathutshedzo Nange who finally broke the deadlock with a thunderous drive in the 34th minute.
Chiefs came close just a minute before half-time when Bernard Parker launched a rocket from outside the box and beat Ndlovu, but the ball hit the upright and sailed away.
Amakhosi came close to an equaliser in the 54th minute but Parker was ruled offside when he netted from a rebound. Solinas’ side missed a few other chances after that as they took the fight to Lidoda Duvha in the second half.
It was Ekstein who brought Amakhosi back into the contest in the 63rd minute, showing great composure to convert with two defenders closing in after a Parker pass.
Second-half substitute Ryan Moon almost became the hero for Amakhosi as he turned inside the Leopards box but his shot went just wide in the referee’s added time.
Moon was at it again 10 minutes into extra time and was twice unlucky, first a defender managed to somehow block his shot and his header flew over from the resultant corner.
Pirates now turn their attention to big derby against Chiefs.
Orlando Pirates coach Micho Sredojevic admitted that coming up against a tricky Chippa United side was not going to be a simple task for them, but says he knew his charges would make the breakthrough at some point.
The Buccaneers were able to increase their chances of claiming silverware this season when they defeated the Chilli Boys 1-0 in the last-16 of the Telkom Knockout courtesy of second-half substitute Vincent Pule’s goal at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
“As we expected, it was not easy. We came into this match with the intention of dominating, penetrating and to be totally effective in creating chances and converting them.
“And in the same moment, it was our intention to take care of our transition and when we lost the ball, how to close people down and defend in open play and setpieces in a balanced approach,” said Sredojevic.
“We were satisfied in the first half, except with our effectiveness in going for goals. Going into the second half, we knew the breakthrough would eventually come. It was a match that was quite balanced, they came on strongly in their attack and you saw that in their changes.”
Goal hero Pule was returning to the team after a knee injury saw him miss Bucs 1-1 draw with AmaZulu FC and was also pulled out of the Bafana Bafana squad that played back-to-back Afcon qualifying matches against Seychelles.
The Bucs coach was content with his charges’ performance especially looking ahead to their much-anticipated Soweto derby against Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.
“The breakthrough came with the fresh legs of Pule who was coming back from an injury. I’m happy that we won and progressed, but at the same moment there are many things that need to be corrected,” he added.
“We don’t hide behind the fact that we were on the Fifa break or the fact that our minds were focused on our match against Kaizer Chiefs next Saturday.”
At the same moment there are many things that need to be corrected.
Milutin Sredojevic Orlando Pirates coach