Nedbank Cup Last 32


ABSA Stadium, Durban


14th March 2008


Kick Off: 20h00


Playing Conditions: Cloudy 30% chance of rain, temperature at kick off 23.5°C

Kaizer Chiefs defeated Ajax Cape Town for the first time in the South African Cup on Friday evening when they knocked the defending champions out of the competition, and became the first PSL team through to the next round of the tournament.

Chiefs were the dominant force in the game but had to wait to extra time to win the match, first up stepped Fabian McCarthy to convert a 109th minute penalty and three minutes later Mabhudi Khenyeza finished off the game scoring Chiefs second goal. In truth the match did not have to go the distance and Ajax had stand in keeper Morgan Cathey to thank for keeping them in the match, he came up with a host of unbelievable close range stops to frustrate the Amakhosi in regulation time but seemed to tire towards the end.

Muhsin Ertugral now remains as the only winner from last season still in the competition heading into Monday’s draw for the last sixteen, by which time a minimum of another four PSL teams would have been eliminated from the Nedbank Cup. Victory for Chiefs meant that they are now unbeaten in four consecutive Cup matches played at the ABSA Stadium in Durban stretching back to October 2004.

Khenyeza close

Chiefs were flying out of the starting blocks and Mabhudi Khenyeza could have had a hat full of goal inside the first ten minutes of the match, David Mathebula set off on a buccaneering run down the right with just three minutes of time having elapsed, and played the ball along the ground to Khenyeza who shrugged off the attentions of Clayton Daniels from inside the Ajax 18 yard area he side footed the ball over.

Six minutes later in a copy cat move but this time from the right the Chiefs striker came close to breaking the dead lock, Siphiwe Tshabalala launched the attack from inside Chiefs half of the field. He then played a quick one two with Khenyeza and raced forward to the return ball, he crossed the ball to Khenyeza in the six yard with a quick side ways pass. Khenyeza got in front of Daniels and connected first time with the ball his effort could not find the target and he dragged wide of the target.

Captain’s agony

In the thirteenth minute Khenyeza turned to supplier when he did superbly well to take on and leave two Ajax defenders in the form of Isaacs and Daniels in his wake, on the left by line. Before laying the ball off to Shaun Bartlett who was inside the six yard box but his effort at goal resembled a back pass and Cathey could easily collect the ball, the Chiefs captained grimaced and was angry at himself for letting a fairly simple goal scoring chance go array.

Bartlett went close with a header on 32 minutes after he did well to connect with a superbly floated pass from the right by Jimmy Tau, who was teed up for his cross by David Mathebula.

Khune to the rescue

Ajax came up with two chances first in the 26th minute Bryce Moon played Nhlanhla Shabalala in on goal down the left, his shot beat Khune but found a resting place in the side netting. On the stroke of half time Clayton Daniels disposed Siphiwe Tshabalala and got momentum after playing a quick pass to Bryce Moon, when the ball came back to him Daniels whipped in a cross aiming for the head of Granwald Scott. Itumeleng Khune had other ideas and came off his line and got to the ball first, in the air the Bafana Bafana keeper through a hand out and turned the ball over his cross bar for an Ajax corner.

Casual Cathey

It was the turn of Gerald Sibeko to spurn a great opportunity for The Amakhosi, nine minutes into the second half he should have put Chiefs ahead but for five yards out was unable to beat Morgan Cathey. Mabhudi Khenyeza tussled for the ball and was able to play it wide to Jimmy Tau, whose first time cross was met by Shaun Bartlett who climbed above Isaacs and headed the ball into Sibeko’s path. As Sibeko took the shot Cathey came out and narrowed his angle, and was able to block the shot with his chest.

Woodwork stops Tshabalala

Just past the hour mark Onismor Bhasera from just in front of the half way line tried to pick out Shaun Bartlett, as he sent the ball in both Cathey under pressure from Bartlett and Evans tried to clear the ball. With Cathey well off his line Evans attempted clearance fell to Siphiwe Tshabalala, who spotted the keeper off his line and hit the ball on the volley goal wards, Ajax again survived as Tshabalala’s attempted flew over Cathey but hit the wood work.

Khune Mwafulirwa dual

An interesting tussle developed between Chiefs goalkeeper Khune and Ajax’s Russell Mwafulirwa through out the second half, Khune had to make two desperate lunges at the feet of Mwafulirwa to stop the lanky striking from scoring. In 72nd minute Mwafulirwa came close to beating Khune in the 6 yard area he hit the ball over Fabian McCarthy and turned and hit the volley on the half volley, to Chiefs reprieve the ball crashed against the under side of the cross bar.

Cathey double save

Jimmy Tau was at it again in the 77th minute as he played a ball from the right onto the chest of Mabhudi Khenyeza, who turned and shot the ball into the ground Cathey managed to block the ball. Shaun Bartlett reacted quickly and attacked the rebound and try to knock hit home, some how miraculously Cathey stuck a hand out and stopped what looked a certain goal.

Cool McCarthy

While Chiefs could not break the dead lock in regulation time things were very different for them in extra time, Mabhudi Khenyeza was the wrestled to the ground inside the 18 yard area in the 106th minute by Clayton Daniels. The referee pointed to the penalty spot and it was left to stand in Chiefs skipper Fabian McCarthy to take the spot kick, he struck the ball straight down the middle and beat Cathey who opted to dive to his left all ends up to put Chiefs ahead.

Khenyeza at last

Mabhudi Khenyeza finally got his name on to the score sheet in the 112th minute, when he was able to effectively deal with the Ajax off side trap and made the game certain with Chiefs second goal of the game. Thuso Phala sent him on his way with a superb defensive splitting pass which left the Ajax defence standing, hoping for the lines man to lift his flag. Once Khenyeza was through on goal he embarrassingly looked to his right to check if he was on side and with no flag insight he strolled towards goal and hit the ball past Cathey, who at one stage in the game looked unbeatable.

Match Details:

Kaizer Chiefs (4-4-2): 32. Khune, 2. Tau, 3. Bhasera, 6. McCarthy, 29. Tsotetsi,

35. Quartey, 24. Mathebula, 27. Sibeko, 14. Tshabalala

Substitutions:

In: 26. Thuso Phala - Out: 24. David Mathebula 82 min


In: 7. Kaizer Motaung Junior - Out: 17. Shaun Bartlett 86 min


In: 28. Derrick Spencer - Out: 35. Jonathan Quartey 100 min

Substitutes not used: 30. Baron, 33. Mototo, 18. Zwane, 25. Matle

Cautions: Yellow Cards, 27. Gerald Sibeko (tackle from behind on Shabalala) 59 min

Coach: Muhsin Ertugral


Assistant Coach: Fani Madida


Goalkeeper Coach: Rainer Dinkelacker

Ajax Cape Town (4-5-1): 30. Cathey, 4. Isaacs, 26. Daniels, 25. Evans, 17. Enoh,

20. Moon, 7. Shabalala, 19. Mwafulirwa, 6. Shumana, 12. Scott

Cautions: Yellows Cards 17. Eyog Enoh 118 min

Substitutions:

In: 15. Mkhanyiseli Siwahla - Out: 20. Bryce Moon 73 min


In: 22. Aidan Jencker - Out: 12. Granwald Scott 79 min


In: 9. Nathan Paulse - Out: 6. Mfundo Shumana 88 min

Substitutes not used: 16. Petim, 18. Vilakazi, 14. Ferreira, 21. Serero

Cautions: Yellow Cards, 4. Dominic Isaacs ( deliberate hand ball) 69 min

Coach: Craig Rosslee


Assistant Coach: Wilfred Mugeyi

Match Officials:


Referee: Thabo Nkosi


Assistant 1: Yugesh Anjith


Assistant 2: Andrew Razeers


4th Official: Nkosi Zweli


Match Commissioner: Adeel Carelse