Chilli Boys red hot against Chiefs
Chippa United show hunger in fight to crush mighty Amakhosi and move second on log
CHIPPA United maintained their impressive unbeaten run in the Premiership with a superb 1-0 triumph over giants Kaizer Chiefs at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth last night. A fifth-minute goal by Abel Mabaso ensured the Chilli Boys have now gone 10 games without a defeat in the Absa Premier Soccer League – and the victory took them to second position on the log.
The Soweto Giants were considered favourites but Chippa proved again they are no pushovers in their own backyard.
Chippa coach Teboho Moloi had said ahead of the game that his team would settle the score with Steve Komphela’s Glamour Boys.
They did just that in front of a largely partisan Amakhosi crowd, while collecting three valuable log points that have placed them in a good position before the Christmas break.
Chiefs should, however, consider themselves lucky for not conceding more goals to the Chilli Boys, who were fired up.
Chippa were off to the best of starts thanks, to some superb footwork and trickery from Mark Mayambela in the fifth minute.
The fit-again midfielder skipped his way past the Chiefs’ defence and down the byline, and laid off to Mabaso, who slotted home an easy chance from point-blank range.
The Chilli Boys controlled the ball with great composure in the middle of the park, showing their hunger for victory, and were pushing hard up front.
They were denied an opportunity when striker Moeketsi Sekola was caught offside in the box.
Chiefs did not take the attack from the home side lying down and had a good chance to equalise from a swift through ball from defender Willard Katsande to Bernard Parker, but the striker was caught by an offside trap. Amakhosi’s Siyabonga Ngezana could then not keep up with speedy Kurt Lentjies and was yellow-carded for a dangerous shoulder charge.
The Chilli Boys missed another chance when Mayambela was too slow off his mark to finish off a well-placed cross from Lentjies.
Chiefs were starting to feel the pressure and were on three yellow cards after 28 minutes.
Chilli Boys defender James Okwuosa was on top of his game and kept the Amakhosi raiders at bay. The second half kicked off to a fiery start. The visitors attacked and central midfielder Joseph Molangoane fired a shot that went wide.
Lentjies had one the best chances to put his side further ahead, but failed to find the back of the net with a one-on-one with Itumeleng Khune.
Late Chiefs substitutions brought more speed to the game and Chippa were forced to defend for their lives in the last few minutes, but held firm.
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The champions remained in last place with a miserly 10 points from 12 games – as they dropped more winnable points in a 0-0 cranky league draw against Ajax at a drenched Bidvest Stadium.
The league champions, despite their Telkom Knockout victory, remain far from their flowing best – and last night’s conditions were never going to help that situation.
Other results: Free State Stars 2 Golden Arrows 1, Polokwane City 0 Platinum Stars 1.
The AmaZulu-Bloemfontein Celtic clash was abandoned due to heavy rain in Durban.