City Pillars 4 (10. Modise 30 min pen & 99 min pen, 15. Chivuta 50 min, 81. Adebayor 62 min)

Venue: FNB Stadium


Competition: ABSA Cup Last Sixteen


Date: 25th March 2006

The Amakhosi were given a scare for their ABSA Cup lives on Saturday evening to eventually overcome a determined and stubborn City Pillars to finally book their passage into the quarterfinals. In a game of high drama Chiefs needed injury time to win the game, after having to come from behind twice to equalize. Kaizer Motaung Junior gave Chiefs the perfect start early on in the game after he slotted the ball home from close range. At that stage it seemed that The Amakhosi would find the going easy.

On twenty four minutes Chiefs believed it would be even easier after Shoes Moshoeu volleyed the ball home following a corner from the right. At this stage the Amakhosi looked to be in complete control and cruising to victory. Soon after the first division outfit hit the post through striker Myron Shongwe and began to take the game to Chiefs - three minutes later they were back in the contest after Patrick Mabedi up-ended Shongwe. Modise Teko stood up and sent Emile Baron the wrong way and then the contest began, on the half hour mark. Arthur Zwane did set up Shoes Moshoeu five minutes later but the veteran Moshoeu was unlucky not to double his tally as his shot ricochet off the post.

Chiefs then had a disastrous start to the second half as Pillars equalized with a well taken free kick from just outside the Chiefs penalty box - Emile Baron stood no chance of stopping substitute Chivuta’s sweetly struck shot. Pillars then silenced the FNB Stadium as Adebayor turned home David Twala’s shot to give Pillars the lead and leave them believing that they could cause a major upset in the ABSA Cup.

With time winding down, Chiefs began throwing everything at Pillars and a corner was awarded deep into injury time at the end of the game. Serge Djiehoua reacted quickest when Pillars goalkeeper Lucky Shiburi spilled the ball. Djiehoua’s neat pass into the six yard area was cannoned home by Louis Agyemang to send the crowd into raptures and the game into extra time.

In extra time, Pillars once again took the lead, after Arthur Zwane was adjudged to have fouled Noah Chivuta. Although Emile Baron guessed correctly this time Modise Teko completed his brace of penalty kicks. This time around Chiefs did not have to wait long to cut Pillars lead down, as Louis Agyemang slotted the ball home after Shiburi once again fluffed a David Obua cross. Agyemang completed his brace and took himself to the top of the ABSA Cup goal scorers chart.

Although referee Mabuza was generous enough to award Pillars with two penalties, Chiefs were hard done by the man in the middle on three occasions throughout the match including when Serge Djiehoua was felled in the area towards the beginning of the second half of extra time.

A few minutes later Djiehoua was once again in the thick of the action as Pillars captain Shoes Marobe tried to bring the big Ivorian down. The Pillars man came off second best. In what then resulted in a lengthy delay he was stretchered off the field and wheeled off to hospital after breaking his hand, resulting in his team having to play out the rest of the game with ten men.

As the game headed towards penalties, Louis Agyemang dragged his shot across the face of goal and what looked like a tame shot went under the outstretched body of Shiburi. The keeper got a touch to the ball. From the resultant corner, captain Cyril Nzama headed the ball home to score Chiefs fifth goal in this nine goal thriller and finally put paid to Pillars hopes of causing a major upset in the cup.

Chiefs will now enter Monday’s midday public draw to be held at the Carlton Centre in the Johannesburg CBD with a huge sigh of relief and happy to have finally climbed over the ABSA Cup last 16 hurdle. A stage at which they had previously stumbled at in 2003, 2004 and 2005, after this absorbing victory The Amakhosi will now begin to believe they have what it takes to take home South Africa’s premier cup competition for the first time since 2000.

Line Up’s:

Kaizer Chiefs: 16. E. Baron, 4. C. Nzama, 5. P. Mabedi (31. Radebe 68 min),

21. P. Mayo, 13. D. Obua, 8. T. Nengomasha, 18. A. Zwane, 27. G. Sibeko (33. Mototo 53 min), 91. J.S. Moshoeu, 20. L. Agyemang, 7. K. Motaung Jnr (9. Djiehoua 81 min)




Substitutes: 1. R. Fernandez, 31. D. Radebe, 33. D. Mototo, 9. S. Djiehoua, 23. L. Mzizi, 22. N. Sikhakhane, 19. N. Khubeka

City Pillars: 110. L. Shiburi, 4. S. Marobe, 25. R. Nkoane, 26. O. Mabuya, 3. T. Maputla, 6. D. Twala, 14. P. Mabitle, 24. C. Mwamba (15.Chivutha 40 min) , 10. T. Modise,

81. A. Abayomi (17. Mongale 88 min), 9. M. Shongwe (23. Maselesele 90+)




Substitutes: 17. T. Mongale, 27. S. Khoza, 23. L. Maselesele, 15. N. Chivuta, 28. K. Khoza, 5. W. Thierry, 8. L. Lekhalale, 11. M. Mukansi, 12. C. Zuma, 30. V. Letlapa, 18. M. Malesa

Yellow Cards:

Kaizer Chiefs: 4. Patrick Mabedi 30 min, 21. Patrick Mayo 81 min, 9. Serge Djiehoua 97 min, 18. Arthur Zwane 98 min

City Pillars: 25. Rabie Nkoane 38 min, 9. Myron Shongwe 39 min, 4. Shoes Marobe 54 min

Referee: P. Mabuza


Assistant 1: L. Matela


Assistant 2: H. Radebe


4th Official: P. Marques


Match Inspector: J. Mabitsela