A 74th minute strike by Zimbabwean striker Cuthbert Malajila, against the run of play, gave Maritzburg United a win against Kaizer Chiefs in Polokwane.

Malajila chased a long diagonal ball that was played out of defence and took it on his head, putting the ball into space to run onto.

He then beat countryman Jimmy Jambo in the physical battle to get to the loose ball first, evaded Dominic Isaacs’s challenge and drew Itumeleng Khune before stabbing his shot past the Bafana Bafana goalkeeper.

From an early free kick in the third minute, United’s skipper Kurt Lentjies struck the upright with his attempt. The ball got through the wall and dipped to beat Itumeleng Khune’s reach and hit the base of the near post.

Felix Obada got forward on the right and when he sent in his cross, it seemed as if the ball struck Tefu Mashamaite's face. While Maritzburg felt it was his hand, referee Damon was not interested.

Three minutes later, Lentjies broke out with pace and sent a through ball to Malajila who got into space, but his touch to try and go around the last man was too heavy. Khune came off his line bravely and smothered the danger.

Chiefs’ best chance of the opening half came when Abia Nale cut in from the right, pulled the ball onto his left foot and cranked in a shot from distance, which dipped dangerously, but was tipped onto the bar by Shuaib Walters.

It took ten minutes into the second half for Chiefs to really create a proper scoring chance after they came out with much more purpose after the break.

But when Nale got the ball in space on the right side of the danger area, the Amakhosi player could not make use of the opportunity and a defender got back to block off his shot.

In the 62nd minute Chiefs also had a penalty decision turned down after Parker fired in a first time shot from Nale’s cross only to see Peter Petersen throw his body in the way and the ball slammed into his hand on its way goalwards.

But referee Jerome Damon waved play on.

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Kaizer Chiefs 0

Maritzburg United 1 (Malajila 74’)

TEAMS

Chiefs: Khune; Tau, Isaacs, Mashamaite, Jambo; Nale (Masango 76’), Katsande, Baloyi, Tshabalala; Parker (Lebese 78’), Majoro (Ngcobo 59’)

Maritzburg: Walters; Petersen, Booysen, Diouf, De Jong; Obada, Madondo (Poggenpoel 85’), Hendricks, Mathuka (Davids 71’), Lentjies; Malajila (Sibisi 88’)