Posted in News on Mar 09, 2016.
Kaizer Chiefs lost 2-0 on the road to Platinum Stars in an Absa Premiership on Wednesday evening. Dikwena’s Ndumiso Mabena scored a brace, including one from the penalty spot.
Itumeleng Khune came back into the team, to replace Reyaad Pieterse in goal, while William Twala got an opportunity to start.
Amakhosi started the match very well, creating a few good opportunities during the opening 20 minutes of the game.
Firstly, it was a cross from William Twala which reached Cameldine Abraw’s head, but the ball disappeared over the crossbar.
A few minutes later, another good cross, this time from Siphiwe Tshabalala, reached Lucky Baloyi, who failed to hit the target from close range.
Instead of Chiefs scoring, it was, against the run of play, the home side that found the back of the net. Mabena made a good run behind the Amakhosi defence and his shot from distance flew past Khune. What made it even more difficult for the goalkeeper to stop the ball from going past him was the fact that the ball deflected off Erick Mathoho’s boot, changing the direction of the shot.
That was the 24th minute. Hereafter, the visitors continued to get a few chances. There were six attempts from Chiefs at goal in the first half, but, sadly enough, none hit the target.
There were, however, several positives to take out of the first half. For example, Twala and Lucky Baloyi performed well, also often getting into dangerous positions in the opponent’s box. Another who had a good first 45 minutes was Tshabalala.
Was Chiefs clearly the better side in the first half, the second half was more even-handed. Both sides got opportunities to score.
To try to change things, coach Komphela brought in George Maluleka for Abraw in the 62th minute.
And just when Amakhosi was slowly piling up the pressure on the Dikwena defence, there was a penalty given to the home side after Bernard Parker, according to the referee, touched the ball with his upper arm in his own box. Mabena netted from the spot in the 79th minute.
It wasn’t Amakhosi’s night. Chiefs were not playing the bad, but the ball just didn’t want to find the back of the net in the opponent’s half.
Despite the loss, the Glamour Boys stay in the third position on the Absa Premiership log, having 39 points from 22 matches.
Next up for Chiefs is the first leg of the CAF Champions League first round against Côte Ivoire’s Asec Mimosas at the FNB Stadium on Saturday, 12 March (kick-off is at 19:30).
Kaizer Chiefs 0
Platinum Stars (1) 2 (Mabena 24’, penalty 79’)
Kaizer Chiefs:
Platinum Stars: Mzimela; Mere, Sithole, Nhlapo, Zulu; Zongo (Gumede 78’), Mathe, Mabena, Msomi (Kodisang 70’); Ng’ambi, Ntuli (Rodgers 83’)
