Playing Conditions: Strong south westerly wind, temperature at kick off 26° C

Without seeing their team live in action in more than a year, the Chiefs fans were not going to let the opportunity slip them by on Sunday afternoon, when The Amakhosi were in action against Santos in Cape Town.

A near capacity crowd filled the Athlone Stadium and braved both the strong wind and rain to watch what was an interesting encounter fought out between Chiefs and Santos in blustery conditions. Both teams could have won this one with Chiefs and their hosts having ample opportunity to have found the back of the net. The Amakhosi were twice denied a penalty by referee Daniel Bennett when Mabhudi Khenyeza was adjudged to have been brought down in each half, Romano Scott went close in the first half for Santos in the first half.

Jimmy Tau was called on to stop Ricardo Skippers from finding a late Santos winner with a heroic diving header in the eightieth minute. A concern for Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral would be the fact that he had to lose striker Kaizer Motaung Junior through a suspected injury, and had to substitute him in the 72nd minute.

Chiefs early march

Siphiwe Tshabalala managed to fight the elements and against the wind found Derrick Spencer off a corner in the fourteenth minute, Spencer managed to control the ball and shot his shot was blocked. Eventually the ball came back to Tshabalala on the left who sent it back goal wards, Santos player Thomrick October got a deflection which went beyond his goalkeeper but into the side netting. From the resulting corner Tshabalala was spot on again, this time finding Khenyeza who shot from inside the Santos six yard area he to could only fine the side netting.

Amakhosi aggrieved

With Chiefs playing against the wind in the first half getting to the Santos goalmouth was proving a struggle, they did manage to conjure up something in the 19th minute and Ditheko Mototo standing on the edge of the Santos area lobbed the ball over the defence and Mabhudi Khenyeza sprinted onto the pass. As he got to the ball he pushed it past Santos keeper Langeveldt, the Santos keeper then knocked him over in what looked liked a certain penalty. Referee Bennett was uninterested and waved play on, in truth it was a poor decision from an official with the kind of experience that Bennett has and Chiefs should have had a penalty.

Scott let off

After Khenyeza was denied a penalty Santos managed to clear their lines and got the ball way up to Erwin Isaacs on the left, Isaacs cut in from the wing and beat Derrick Spencer before unleashing a powerful shot from around twenty yards out the ball dipped as it flew over Khune and was inches away from hitting the target. Six minutes from halftime and Romano Scott could not believe his luck when was allowed to chase a long searching ball from defence into the Chiefs danger zone. With just Khune to beat Scott attempted to side foot the ball over the Chiefs keeper, when he might have had a better outcome had he aimed for one of the corners and in the end his shot was more like a back pass which Khune was able to easily collect.

Mathopa miss

With twenty minutes to go in the game Koena Mathopa on the right edge of the Chiefs 18 yard area was teed up for a shot at goal, he struck the ball which was bobbling in front of him first time on the bounce. From an acute angle he tried to beat Khune at his near post the Chiefs keeper read the situation well and got down to make the save, Mathopa who was guilty of squandering a number of opportunities was then duly replaced by his coach in the 76th minute and was replaced by Eleazar Rodgers.

Khenyeza denied

Bennett for the second time in the game denied Mabhudi Khenyeza what looked a certain penalty, in the 72nd minute Obua just outside the Santos goal was brought down, Bennett allowed play to carry on. Khenyeza picked up the ball and raced into the 18 yard area, as he beat Musa Otieno the veteran defender wrapped his legs around the Chiefs striker and brought him tumbling down, the referee was uninterested in Chiefs appeals for a penalty and allowed play to continue on.

Tau to the rescue

With ten minutes to go October on the half way line played a fantastic pass along the ground to substitute Ricardo Skippers, who raced down the left touchline and got the ball. Itumeleng Khune came out of his goal mouth and Skippers beat him hands down, with Khune looking on Skippers tried to pick out one of his team mates in the centre. Jimmy Tau had by then made up ground and as Skippers knocked the ball towards goal Tau, divided at the ball and headed it out to safety.

Match Details:

Santos (4-4-2): 35. Lee Langeveldt, 2. Musa Otieno, 22. Zvenyika Makonese, 16. Wayne Arendse, 20. Thom Rick October, 4. Mgogogi Gabonamong, 10. Thebile Kanono,11. Romano Scott, 15. Erwin Isaacs, 21. Koena Mathopa

Substitutions:

In: 26. Ricardo Skippers Out: 11. Romano Scott 59 min


In: 9. Eleazar Rodgers Out: 21. Koena Mathopa 76 min

Substitutes not used: 30. Jason Barnard, 5. Craig Bianchi, 25. Bevan Fransch, 13. Joswin Hendricks, 7. Ryan Chapman

Cautions: Yellow Cards, 21. Koena Mathopa (foot up on Khune) 3 min, 11. Romano Scott (foul on Tshabalala) 44 min

Coach: Jean Marc Ithier


Assistant Coach: Salie Adams


Goalkeeper Coach: Andre Bronkhurst

Kaizer Chiefs (4-4-2): 32. Itumeleng Khune, 2. Jimmy Tau, 4. Cyril Nzama, 28. Derrick Spencer, 33. Ditheko Mototo, 8. Tinashe Nengomasha, 13. David Obua, 14. Siphiwe Tshabalala, 18. Arthur Zwane, 5. Mabhudi Khenyeza, 7. Kaizer Motaung

Substitutions:

In: 27. Gerald Sibeko Out: 14. Siphiwe Tshabalala 57 min


In: 20. Sandile Zuke Out: 7. Kaizer Motaung Junior 72 min


In: 22. Mandla Masango Out: 5. Mabhudi Khenyeza 79 min

Substitutes not used: 30. Emille Baron, 26. Thsuo Phala, 24. David Mathebula, 29. Mokete Tsotetsi

Cautions: Yellow Cards, Ditheko Mototo (not stopping play when asked) 71 min

Coach: Muhsin Ertugral


Assistant Coach: Fani Madida


Goalkeeper Coach: Rainer Dinkelacker

Match Officials:

Referee: Daniel Bennett


Assistant 1: Edward Madidlane


Assistant2: Moses Phale


4th Official: Nomvola Masilela


Match Commissioner: Stuart Gregory