Sthembiso Ngcobo lived up to his midweek promise as he ended his goal drought and scored his first official goal for the Amakhosi, as he opened the scoring for Chiefs during their 2-0 victory over his former team Free State Stars in their Telkom Knockout Cup Quarter-Final clash played at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon.

It was another Stars old boy Siphiwe Tshabalala who set up Chiefs second as Knowledge Musona headed home Shabbas eighty second minute free kick, second half substitute Mandla Masango proved to be the inspiration behind Chiefs second half resurgence.

It was a quiet start to the game with the main talking point of the half being a pull on Stars striker Aleni Lebyane by Chiefs defender Valery Nahayo inside the Amakhosi penalty area, Lebyane was played in on goal and with just Bartman to beat Nahayo pulled him back.

Stars felt that they should have been awarded a penalty but the referee waved play on much to the consternation of the Stars bench who protested the decision.

The best chance of the half though did fall the way of Chiefs, Abia Nale in a one on one situtation with Stars keeper Kennedy Mweene tried to side foot the ball past the keeper, the Stars net minder stuck out his right hand and blocked the ball.

If the first half lacked attacking content the second half more than made up for it, two minutes into the second half Reneilwe Letsholonyane’s lay-up from the left was headed goalwards by Nale, the effort lacked any power and Mweene was able to easily stop the ball.

Stars launched a counter-attack from which they managed to win a corner, Matome Madimabe managed to back track and headed Noah Chivuta’s corner over Bartman and onto the cross bar as it bounced out for a goal kick.

In the 55th minute Masango’s cross from the right was missed by Isiso Mbo, Musona collected the ball and clipped it over Mweene the defender made up for his earlier indiscretion by getting behind Mweene to clear the ball of the line.

Paulus Masehe unleashed a powerful scissor kick from close range at goal as he connected with Chivuta’s corner from the right, Chiefs keeper Bartman produced a spectacular two handed save to block the ball and the danger was averted.

Masango was proving to be a handful for Stars in the 76th minute he peeled away from Masehe down the right and played the ball goal wards where Ngcobo was waiting to knock the ball home from close range, and score his first official goal for the Amakhosi.

Four minutes later Siphiwe Tshabalala played a delicate back heel to put Musona clean through on goal, he blasted the ball from some eight yards from goal past Mweene, the ball crashed against his left hand up right.

Musona was not to be denied his sixth goal of the season and he duly got in, eight minutes from regulation time Tshabalala curled in a free kick from the right, Musona left his marker and ran forward heading the ball past Mweene beating the Stars keeper at his near post to put Chiefs 2-0 up and into the Semi-Finals.

Line Up's: Kaizer Chiefs: 34. A. Bartman, 29. Z. Jambo, 2. J. Tau, 5. D. Isaacs, 13. V. Nahayo , 8. T. Nengomasha, 14. S. Tshabalala (44. S. Songwiqi), 6. R. Letsholonyane, 11. A. Nale (23. S. Ngcobo 67’), 10. M. Yende (22. M. Masango 46’), 21. K Musona

Free State Stars: 1. K. Mweene, 12. T. Matlaba, 22. K. Taaibos, 6.B. Dikilu, 21. N. Chivuta, 5.P. Masehe, 11. M Madimabe (27. M. Gumede 90’), 25. I. Mbo, 7. M. Makola, 14. N. Soki (18. K. Nkhata), 9. A. Lebyane (T. Motaung 82’)