Amakhosi coach Muhsin Ertugral could only hold his head in disbelief as Chiefs lost for the first time this season, going down by a goal to nil against Wits in Rustenburg. It was a game which Chiefs should comfortably have won as they dominated from start to finish.

Wits had their goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs to thank for preventing Chiefs from scoring, as Josephs came up with a number of breathtaking saves from pointblank range, particularly in the second half as he denied both Onismor Bhasera and Shaun Bartlett from heading their way onto the score sheet.

Ertugral could not have asked for anything more from his team as they did everything correctly, and had the opposition chasing the game for almost the entire ninety minutes.

In the end Wits got a lucky break when they were awarded a 64th minute penalty which Noah Chivutha converting to hand Wits the points. Given their dominance and class on the night, the result, it could be argued was not a fair reflection of the game.

Premier Soccer League


Olympia Stadium


Rustenburg, North West Province


Friday 31st August 2007


20h00


Playing Conditions: Light northerly wind, temperature at kick off 26 °C

First half barrage

It was the Amakhosi who were clearly on top in the opening forty five minutes of this game and could easily have gone into the break ahead, Wits had their goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs to thank for keeping things level at the break as he came up with a number of big saves in the first half.

In the thirty fourth minute Moketi Tsotetsi had Josephs at full stretch as he let rip from some distance out, Josephs got his body behind the ball and blocked it.

As half time approached, Mabhudi Khenyeza made Josephs work as he forced him into making two stops a minute apart, first on forty minute, the Chiefs striker drove a short free kick from Thabo Mooki goalwards, Josephs got down and made the save jumping to his left.

Then in the forty second minute, Khenyeza after playing a few short passes with Tinashe Nengomasha, hit the ball on the volley from, the Wits keeper once again had to be on his guard and came off his line and turned the ball behind for a corner.

Penalty hat trick

The only goal of the game came in the 64th minute when Noah Chivutha got the ball beyond the out stretched reaches of Itumeleng Khune from the penalty spot, after Tsotetsi was adjudged to have knocked the ball off a Byron Hendricks throw in with his hands.

For the second week in succession, Tsotetsi was unfortunate enough to give away a penalty, the statistic that matters though is that there has been a penalty awarded to either Chiefs or their opposition in The Amakhosi’s opening three league games of the current campaign.

While Chiefs were on the receiving end of a favourable penalty decision on the opening night against Benoni Premier United, they have conceded two penalties in their subsequent games against Cosmos and now Wits.

Bartlett night of agony

For Chiefs striker Bartlett, it was a night of sheer agony as he tried in every way to find a way past Josephs, the Wits goalkeeper, for all his efforts Bartlett and The Amakhosi were frustrated by the Wits keeper.

Early in the second half Bartlett sent a looping cross into the danger area which Onismor Bhasera got under and headed goalwards only for Josephs to make an acrobatic stop on the line.

With just under a quarter of an hour to go Kaizer Motaung Junior on as a second half substitute, linked up well with another second half entrant Siphiwe Tshabalala, as Kaizer ran down the left he played a square pass on the edge of the 18 yard area to Tshabalala who sent in a cross towards Bartlett, who rose above his marker and headed the ball downwards and towards what looked like the equalizer. Miraculously Josephs stuck out a boot and denied Bartlett from getting his second goal of the season.

If it was not the Wits keeper who was denying him from getting onto the scoreboard even the elements played their part, as he timed his run beautifully when tracking Bhasera’s 81st minute free kick from the left, Bartlett ran and headed the ball against the wood work with Josephs all at sea for the first time in the game.

Bartlett’s night of woe was complete when referee Abdul Ebrahim had ruled what looked like an injury time equalizer from Bartlett to be offside, it looked a harsh decision though.

Line Up’s:

Kaizer Chiefs (4-4-2):1. Itumeleng Khune, 4. Cyril Nzama (c), 33. Ditheko Mototo, 29. Moketi Tsotetsi, 35. Jonathan Quartey, 8. Tinashe Nengomasha, 12. Thabo Mooki, 24. David Mathebula, 3. Onismor Bhasera, 17. Shaun Bartlett, 5. Mabhudi Khenyeza

Substitutions:

In: 27. Gerald Sibeko Out: 12. Thabo Mooki 55 min


In: 14. Siphiwe Tshabalala Out: 33. Ditheko Mototo 54 min


In: Kaizer Motaung Junior Out: 24. David Mathebula 67 min

Cautions: Yellow Cards, 35. Jonathan Quartey 70 min (push in the back of Dale Studzinski), 17. Shaun Bartlett 73 min (push Byron Hendricks off the ball)

Substitutes not used: 1. Markus Bocsker, 26. Thuso Phala, 18. Arthur Zwane,

2. Jimmy Tau

Coach: Muhsin Ertugral

Assistant Coach: Fani Madida

Goalkeeper Coach: Rainer Dinkelacker

BidVest Wits University (4-4-2): 1. Moeneeb Josephs (c), 2. Phillip Evans, 3. Byron Hendricks, 4. Bienuenu Tipa, 6. Calvin Sosibo, 15. Noah Chivutha, 20. Dale Studzinski, 23. Almiro Lobo, 25. Ashraf Hendricks, 27. Neil Winstanley, 31. David Radebe

Substitutions:

In: 10. Kenwyn Manuel Out: 15. Noah Chivutha 66 min


In: 28. Clive Moyo Out: 31. David Radebe 82 min


In: 9. Nhlanhla Kubeka Out: 4. Tipa Bienuenu 85 min

Substitutes not used: 16. Sean Roberts, 7. Marwan Bantam, 17. Rene Richards,

22. Ashley Makhanya

Cautions: Yellow Cards, 20. Dale Studzinski 32 min (infringement on Itumeleng Khune), 4. Bienuenu Tipa 45 min (foul on Onismor Bhasera)

Ejected: Roger Da Sa 62 min (dissent)

Coach: Roger Da Sa


Assistant Coach: Eric Tinkler

Match Officials:

Referee: Abdul Ebrahim


Assistant 1: Yugesh Anjit


Assistant 2: Godfrey Selopetsa


4th Official: John Du Toit


Match Commissioner: George Lobo