It was a game of two halves as Kaizer Chiefs drew 1-all with Maritzburg United in an entertaining encounter played in front of a packed Harry Gwala Stadium on Wednesday night.

Chiefs who dominated the first stanza of the game took the lead in the 28th minute through Knowledge Musona grabbing his first league goal of the season but allowed Maritzburg to equalise through Rudolf Bester in the 73rd minute.

“We started the game well and created lot of chances especially in the second half. It shows that in football if you do not take your chances you are bound to be punished,” Vermezovic told kaizerchiefs.com after the game.

The Glamour Boys arrived in Durban full of confidence with a clean sheet since the start of the preseason and hoping to continue where they left off last December against a tricky Maritzburg United side whom they beat by a 3-1 margin at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Thomas Sweswe returned to the heart of defence to partner Dominic Isaacs following Valery Nahayo’s assignment on national duty with Burundi.

Desperate to score from an open play Siphiwe Tshabalala came close as early as the 9th minute but failed to connect properly with Mandla Masango’s superb cross by firing his shot wide.

The industrious Masango; fresh and full of confidence following a brilliant outing for the U23s over the weekend, called an alert Shuaib Walters into duty in the 17th minute after being brilliantly set up by Reneilwe Letsholonyane.

That did not stop the boys from Phefeni as they continued to probe with Mthokozisi Yende and Reneilwe Letsholonyane dominating the middle of the park.

The goal finally came in the 28th minute through the sensation, Knowledge Musona.

An overlapping Tau took a shot just outside 18-area box with his weaker left foot but an alert Musona changed the direction of the ball with a tap in with Shuaib Walters going an opposite direction, 1-0 to Chiefs.

With Maritzburg United defence in sixes and sevens, Shuaib Walters had his defence to thank twice in the 29th and 40th minute respectively as David Booysen and John Arwuah denied both Siphiwe Tshabalala and Mthokozisi Yende.

Kurt Lentjies came close to levelling matters for his side in the in the 44th minute as his well taken shot from 35 yards came off the cross bar. A minute later, David Booysen’s tap-in came off the crossbar and Rudolf’s follow up header also hit the woodwork as the hosts searched for an equaliser.

Maritzburg United started the second half the way they finished the first half with Rudolf Bester sending a dangerous cross in the box but the diving Fadlu Davids failed to connect the ball to the frustration of coach, Ernest Middendorp.

Substitute, Sthembiso Ngcobo who replaced Abia Nale made an immediate impact when he blasted the side netting in the 62nd minute after Maritzburg United defender Elias Ngwepe had failed to clear the ball from danger.

Itumeleng Khune who has been in superb form since the start of the season pulled a superb save denying defender, Mor Diouf from a well taken free kick from 35 yards out.

Maritzburg United grabbed an equaliser through Rudolf Bester in the 73rd minute after Chiefs defence and goalkeeper, Itumeleng Khune misjudged Gert Lentjies’ long ball allowing Bester to tap in an easy goal.

Khune redeemed himself in the 85th minute when he denied Musa Nyatama from a one-on-one situation and then denied substitute, Diyo Sibisi who had done well to follow up.

The Serbian who watched his charges creating a chance after chance suggested that some of the players might be thinking about the game on Saturday, “It happens at times when you have a big game like we have on Saturday. The most important fixture for us was this game against Maritzburg and we will start focusing on Pirates on Thursday, “said a visibly disappointed Vermezovic.

Chiefs will on Saturday hope to return to winning ways when they meet rivals, Orlando Pirates at Soccer City in the MTN8 semi final first leg. Kick off is at 20:15.

Mthokozisi Yende was voted Man of the Match at the end of 90 minutes for the second time in a row.

Teams:

Chiefs: Khune, Tau (Capt.), Masenamela, Sweswe, Isaacs, Letsholonyane, Nale (Ngcobo 57), Tshabalala (Nengomasha 78), Musona, Masango (Dladla 65), Yende

Substitutes not used: Bartman, Jambo, Motaung JR, Nhleko

Technical Team

Vladimir Vermezovic (Head Coach)


Donald “Ace” Khuse (Assistant Coach)


Rainer Dinkelacker (Goalkeeper Coach)


Jose Cox (Team Physio)


United: Walters, Diouf, Arwuah, Davids (Capt.) (Donnelly 58), Booysen, Lentjies, Nyatama, Bester, Obada (Sibisi 58), Madondo, Ngwepe

Substitutes not used: Mathole, Lawrence, Zungu, Petersen

Technical Team

Ernst Middendorp (Head Coach)


Moegmat Adams (Assist. Coach)


Pernell McKop (Goalkeeper Coach)


Zola Luthuli (Masseur)


Burger Van Der Merve (Biokinetikist)

Match Officials

Jacob Frolick (Referee)


Zakhele Siwela (1st Assistant)


Johannes Moshidi (2nd Assistant)


Phelelani Ndaba (4th Official)


Phil Masemola (Match Commissioner)