Posted in News on Dec 20, 2006.
Vodacom Loftus, Tshwane (Pretoria)
Premier Soccer League
Kick Off: 20h00
20th December 2006
Temperature: 24° C
In what was the second Johannesburg vs Cape Town challenge on Wednesday and Chiefs restored Jozi’s pride with a convincing but hard fought 3-2 victory over Santos, after Orlando Pirates were defeated earlier in the day by Ajax Cape Town.
With Wednesday’s victory over Santos Chiefs racked up their tenth PSL victory over the Capetonians, and their second consecutive league win over Santos. While the score line might make one think that Chiefs had things all their own way against Santos, the truth is it was far from that as they made The Amakhosi sweat all the way for their win in Tshwane.
Santos showed first up that they were going to be a tougher prospect than Maritzburg United and had the first chance at goal inside the first 15 minutes but Elazar Rodgers could not control his shot and sent it over Fernandez.
This after he was played in on goal by his captain Dipsey Selolwane who caught the Chiefs defense out with a deft chip, which left the likes of Fabian McCarthy and Siphiwe Mkhonza stranded.
A minute after that piece of action Shaun Bartlett went narrowly close to giving Chiefs the lead with a spectacular over head kick, Bartlett though did get himself on the score sheet a few minutes later. When on the half hour mark Siyabonga Nkosi stormed down the right wing and played a ground ball to Bartlett whose low drive across the goal beat the outstretched Roberts and put Chiefs ahead.
As we have seen in the past that Chiefs are most vulnerable just after they have scored a goal and were true to form again, as the Chiefs defense did not deal effectively in clearing the ball. Which allowed for Romano Scott to storm through on goal as he scored Santos equalizer, with a shot across the goal that beat Fernandez at his far post and brought the scores level on thirty four minutes.
Santos were not on level terms for long though as Chiefs must take credit for attacking the opposition straight from the re start, as Shaun Bartlett played a short pass to Kaizer Motaung Junior. Chiefs hat trick hero from Sunday’s game played a ball over the top of the Santos defense, which fell invitingly for Siyabonga Nkosi who needed no second invitation as he struck to restore Chiefs lead.
The last action of the first half saw Roberts making a daring save in front of Shaun Bartlett, when the Chiefs striker found himself with in striking distance of the Santos goal. As he unleashed a powerful shot Roberts flung himself in front of Bartlett and stopped the ball with his out stretched leg, at the feet of Bartlett.
The start of the second half saw Santos presented with an opportunity to level proceedings but could not do so as Erwin Isaacs, shot from the edge of the Chiefs 18 yard area went narrowly wide of Fernandez goal and grazed the cross bar on its way out.
While they continued to dominate the opening exchanges in the second half they could not turn their possession into goals, as a Isaacs and Dipsey Selolwane both went close for Santos with the latter heading narrowly wide of the Chiefs goal after getting on the end of a Roman Scott cross.
While Santos were wasteful it did not take Chiefs long to make certain of the game as they got their third goal on fifty one minutes, as they broke quickly off a Santos attack which broke down. It was Siyabonga Nkosi again who the supplier was as he floated in a cross from the left; Shaun Bartlett came in between Roberts and his defense and headed in Chiefs third goal and his seventh of the campaign.
Santos did manage to find their way onto the score sheet again with a goal well into injury time at the end of the game; it was not enough to stop Chiefs from winning their second game in succession. A win which has seen them go up the table and will end 2006 in second spot a point behind log leaders Silver Stars, Wednesday nights victory was a perfect send off from Ernst Middendorp and his players to their fans as they head off for their holidays.
Chiefs will take a week off to gain much needed rest after a busy eight weeks which has seen them climb from eleventh position to second in the league, The Amakhosi will now look ahead to their next game which is on the 6th January when they host Super Sport United.
Line Up’s:
Kaizer Chiefs:
1. R. Fernandez, 2. J. Tau, 6. F. McCarthy,
44. S. Mkhonza (21. Mayo 15 min), 33. D. Mototo (12. Mooki 68 min), 10. S. Nkosi, 13. D. Obua, 27. G. Sibeko, 8. T. Nengomasha, 7. K. Motaung Jnr,
17. S. Bartlett (9. Djiehoua 77 min)
Substitutes: 16. E. Baron, 21. P. Mayo, 4. C. Nzama, 12. T. Mooki, 25. G. Schalkwyk,
9. S. Djiehoua, 31. D. Radebe
Coach: Ernst Middendorp
Santos: 1. W. Roberts, 2. M. Otieno Ongao, 22. Z. Makonese, 19. O. Hendricks,
16. W. Arendse, 12. R. Nauseb, 7. M. Bantam, 25. D. Selolwane, 11. R. Scott,
15. E. Isaacs (4. Gabonamong 82 min), 9. E. Rodgers (10. Kanono 74 min)
Substitutes: 29. B. Wardle, 23. E. Burton, 20. C. Bianchi, 13. B. Hendricks,
4. M. Gabonamong, 10. T. Kanono, 17. R. Cloete
Coach: Roger Da Sa
Cautions: Yellow Cards, Kaizer Chiefs: 8. Tinashe Nengomasha 41 min
Match Officials:
Referee: Daniel Bennett
Assistant 1: Johannes Moshidi
Assistant 2: Colin Netsholongwe
4th Official: Matthew Dyer
Match Commissioner: Phillip Masemola
