Kaizer Chiefs lost to struggling Richards Bay at the King Zwelithini Stadium in their latest DStv Premiership match on Sunday, 21 April.
The defeat puts the Glamour Boys on track for their worst ever finish to a PSL top-flight season, as reported by The South African website.
‘Goal scoring gods deserted Kaizer Chiefs’
Below, the match report as per the official Kaizer Chiefs website.
The goal scoring gods once again failed to show favour to Kaizer Chiefs on a day when accuracy in front of goal continued to elude them as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Richards Bay in their DStv Premiership clash at the King Zwelithini stadium in Umlazi, south of Durban on Sunday afternoon.
Rich Boys skipper Simphiwe Mcineka recorded his first ever top-flight goal midway through the second half, heading home Sanele Barns’ corner to score the winner in one of only a handful of forays forward from the home team throughout the 90 minutes.
Amakhosi were much the more enterprising in the opening half as they pinned Richards Bay inside their own half for the majority of the time. The hosts retreated into a deep defensive line and Chiefs saw a lot of the ball on the edge of the last third of the pitch.
Edmilson Dove did manage to breach the rear guard in the 16th minute, sending a well-timed through ball for Mduduzi Shabalala to run onto, but the teenager was indecisive and allowed goalkeeper Salim Magoola to come off his line and clear the danger.
The Glamour Boys played some nice intricate passing moves in an effort to move the ball from side to side and try to create an opening in the resolute Richards Bay defence, and in the 27th minute, Ashley du Preez broke free and set up Christian Saile, whose shot lacked the power to beat Magoola.
Five minutes later, Dillon Solomons showed deft skill on a fine run down the right before teasing in a cross that Magoola had to stretch to reach before Saile could.
In the 39th minute, Siyethemba Sithebe’s chip behind the defence was met by Du Preez and almost gave Amakhosi the lead, although he was deemed to be marginally offside, and the teams went into the halftime break level at 0-0.
‘Lucky escape’
On 53 minutes, Du Preez found Pule Mmodi on the edge of the box but the winger shot wide of the target.
Ten minutes later, on a rare break forward, Ntsako Makhubela’s right wing cross found Khuda Myaba in the box, and only a superbly timed tackle by Given Msimango, Amakhosi skipper on the day, prevented the striker from flicking the ball past Bruce Bvuma.
However, From the resultant corner, Mcineka found a yard at the near post to flick Barns’ corner into the net, with 64 minutes gone.
Chiefs came agonisingly close to equalising almost immediately when Du Preez let fly from range moments after kicking off but sadly the ball cannoned off the woodwork, with Magoola beaten.
In the 75th minute, Richards Bay had another lucky escape.
Fresh from committing his future to Chiefs by signing a new contract during the week, Mfundo Vilakazi, on as a substitute, snaked into the box and found Du Preez, whose shot took a wicked deflection and looped towards goal until Magoola somehow managed to claw it away, colliding with the post and injuring himself in the process.
Despite a raft of changes by coach Cavin Johnson, Amakhosi could not come up with the right execution to convert the numerous opportunities they created and Richards Bay held them off until the referee blew for full time at the end of eight additional minutes.
The Glamour Boys now lie 10th in the DStv Premiership standings, with 30 points from 24 matches.
They host SuperSport United in Polokwane next Saturday, 27 April in a match they must win to remain in contention to finish in the top eight.
TEAMS
Kaizer Chiefs
Bvuma (44), Msimango (25), Dove (2), Hlanti (23) Frosler (39) 76’), Solomons (18), Sithebe (6) (Zwane (37) 76’), Mthethwa (5) (Castillo (17) 82’), Shabalala (42), Mmodi (13) (Vilakazi (28) 67’), Basomboli Saile (21) (Chivaviro (7) 76’), Du Preez (9)
Subs not used: Petersen (1); Kwinika (4), Mashiane (19), Mashiane (19), Gonzalez (14)
Coach: Cavin Johnson
Richards Bay
Magoola (80); Mabuya (22), Ndaba (3), Mthethwa (5),Mhlongo (21) Mthembu (20) 58’), Komane (44), Mcineka © (25), Barns (30), Myaba (29) (Figareido (23) 79’), Makhubela (88) (Dube (99) 89’), Ntsundwana (45) (Gumede (13) 58’)
Subs not used: Jacobs (16), Mabua (72), Malepe (66), Mbuthuma (9), Mohlamme (7)
Coach: Vusumuzi Vilakazi
