Posted in News on Oct 01, 2006.
Chatsworth Stadium, Durban
1st October 2006
Premier Soccer League
Temperature: 25 ° C
Kick-Off: 15h45
The Amakhosi kept up their 100% record of victories over Golden Arrows since Ernst Middendorp took over as coach at the beginning of last season, as The Amakhosi recorded their first victory of the season on Sunday. They did with a well earned and hard fought 2-1 triumph over Arrows at the Chatsworth Stadium in Durban, there was a sense of de JA vu about proceedings.
As Chiefs took the lead just after the hour mark through Siyabonga Nkosi, the same player who opened his goal account for Chiefs when Chiefs defeated, Arrows by two goals to nil in an SAA Supa8 ¼ Final encounter in August. Arrows did pull level and it was left to substitute Derrick Spencer to enter the fray and proved to the hero late on for The Amakhosi as he found the back of the Arrows net with five minutes of normal time left to win the game for Chiefs.
Arrows in truth made Chiefs labour all the way for their three points and many might have thought that Arrows coach Khabo Zondo lost the plot, when he started the game with what looked like a very inexperienced team. Leaving the likes of Khanyeza, Meiring and Gumbi to watch from the side lines and early on the coach looked to have played a masterstroke as Arrows took the upper hand. In the end it was Arrows lack of experience and inability to make the most of their early dominance that cost them the points, and ultimately allowed Chiefs back into the game.
In a game of two halves Arrows had the first run at goal as early as the 7th minute when Joseph Henyakane mauraded down the left and sent in a ball along the ground to Vusimuzi Vilakazi. Rowen Fernandez reacted quickly and narrowed the Arrows strikers’ view of goal and was able to make a decisive save, four minutes later and Fernandez was called to the fore once again.
The Chiefs keeper was at full stretch as he tipped a neat volley from Arrows midfielder Lindani Buthelezi onto the post and the ball rolled out to safety. Arrows onslaught on the Chiefs goal continued on twenty three minutes, the home side almost took the lead as Arrows Mhlangu got his shot beyond Rowen Fernandez, but could not beat Patrick Mayo who cleared the ball of the line and out to safety.
Just after the half hour mark Chiefs seemed to turn the tide in what was a precursor for the second half, as Scara Ngobese the man of the match last weekend for Chiefs against Swallows. Rattled the Arrows goal post with a ferocious shot from some distances, after being teed up by Jimmy Tau, on the stroke of half time Ngobese repaid the favour as he set up Tau who again from distance made the Arrows wood work shake.
Chiefs came out firing on all cylinders in the second half as Siyabonga Nkosi tested Maseko in the Arrows goal with a well time shot, this after he was played in on goal with a pass from the left of midfield. While Chiefs were somewhat on the back foot in the first half they looked more enterprising in the second period and with Scara Ngobese pulling the string they were unfortunate not to take the lead as the hour mark approached. Ngobese sent in a through pass to Kaizer Junior who sprinted towards goal and unleashed a shot only for Maseko to get his body in the way of the ball.
A few minutes later and Chiefs took the lead from a Scara Ngobese free kick after David Radebe had been impeded by Hanyekane, Ngobese sent in a beautifully floated pass which was not dealt with by the Arrows defence. Instead the ball fell to Siyabonga Nkosi who lined up his shot and blasted the ball home to give Chiefs the lead, after Nkosi’s goal that game further opened up into a well fought contest.
Ten minutes after Chiefs had taken the lead Mabhuti Khanyeza on as a substitute knocked a shot high and wide over the Chiefs cross bar from inside the Chiefs six yard area, after collecting a pass from the left side of midfield. Redemption did come for the Arrows striker as he levelled matters on eighty one minutes, when he headed home from close range after his first attempt rebounded off Rowen Fernandez.
It did not take Chiefs long to restore the advantage after and took the lead again with five minutes of the game remaining, as an Arrows attack broke down Chiefs counterattacked with lightening speed. David Radebe carried the ball to the Arrows 18 yard area he played a gentle ball to Kaizer Motuang Junior, who in turn played a neat through ball to Derrick Spencer who ran onto the ball and knocked it home to restore Chiefs advantage.
Spencer’s goal sparked wild celebrations in the stadium and on the pitch with even coach Ernst Middendorp storming out of his technical area to join in the celebrations, which clearly meant a lot for the Chiefs players. With their first victory of the season under their belt Ernst Middendorp will use the coming week to calm his players down and heal the wounded, ahead of their next league encounter on October 14 against defending PSL Champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
Line Up’s:
Lamontville Golden Arrows: 39. N. Maseko, 3. S. Mhlangu, 4. B. Mwanza,
10. L. Sibeko, 19. V. Vilakazi (17. Khanyeza 71 min), 20. L. Buthelezi, 21. S. Gangweni, 24. J. Hanyekane, 27. N. Ngubane (11. Dhlamini 67 min), 33. K. Dikgacoi, 34. P. Shange
Substitutes: 37. K. Kakonje, 7. T. Mshengu, 9. A. Meiring, 11. V. Dhlamini, 17. M. Khanyeza, 18. B. Ratsoana, 22. M. Gumbi
Kaizer Chiefs: 1. R. Fernandez, 2. J. Tau, 6. F. McCarthy, 21. P. Mayo,
13. D. Obua (28. Spencer 46 min), 12. T. Mooki, 33. D. Mototo, 10. S. Nkosi,
11. E. Ngobese, 7. K. Motaung Jnr (22. R. Kilambe 90), 20. L. Agyemang (31. Radebe 46 min)
Substitutes: 16. R. Wuest, 24. D. Mathebula, 25. G. Schalkwyk, 28. D. Spencer,
31. D. Radebe, 27. G. Sibeko, 22. R. Kilambe
Coach: Ernst Middendorp
Officials:
Referee: Ace Ncobo
Assistant 1: Tembekile Bikitsha
Assistant 2: Fikile Mtintsilana
4TH Official: Abdul Ebrahim
Match Commissioner: Adeal Carelse
