Posted in Match Report, News, Team News on Feb 26, 2024.
Kaizer Chiefs 0
Milford FC 0
After extra time
(Milford win 5-4 on penalties)
FNB stadium, Nasrec
Kaizer Chiefs spurned a catalogue of chances over 120 minutes of goalless football before losing 5-4 in a penalty shootout to Milford FC in their Nedbank Cup last 32 tie at FNB stadium in Nasrec on Sunday evening.
Milford goalkeeper, Siphamandla Hleza capped a man-of-the-match performance by scoring the winning penalty, having pulled of numerous crucial saves during the game, including saving a Ranga Chivaviro spot-kick in extra time. Edson Castillo was the unfortunate player to miss during the shootout.
After a few minutes of feeling each other out a flurry of chances fell to Chiefs within a couple of minutes.
Christian Saile burst down the right in the 5th minute and squared the ball to Ashley Du Preez who somehow contrived to hit the crossbar from three yards out with the open goal gaping.
Milford had another let-off a minute later when Nkosingiphile Ngcobo let fly from 20 yards only for the ball to miss the post by inches.
Less than 60 seconds later, Happy Mashiane broke down the left flank. His cut-back found Mduduzi Shabalala whose miskick fell into the path of Castillo, but the Venezuelan midfielder’s shot was cleared off the line by Milford defender Vusumuzi Mthabela.
On 14 minutes, the Saile-Du Preez combination almost paid dividends but for another last ditch clearance by Mthabela. Edmilson Dove headed the resultant corner narrowly over the crossbar.
Milford retreated into a back-six, at times a back-seven, in an attempt to keep the marauding Amakhosi at bay and it worked to the extent that they stemmed the tide of incessant attack.
It took until the 40th minute for Chiefs to threaten again, this time Ngcobo’s superbly struck volley was saved by Hleza, which was enough to see them go into halftime level at 0-0.
The one-way traffic changed direction for the second half as the teams switched ends and, barely a minute after the restart, Castillo arrived late in the box to meet a Mashiane cross only for Hleza to scramble the ball away from his goal line.
He made another sharp save shortly thereafter to keep out Shabalala’s first-time effort. On 62 minutes, Castillo will feel he ought to have done better with a free far post header that he nodded wide.
Just past the hour mark, coach Cavin Johnson made a triple substitution, introducing Chivaviro and Pule Mmodi along with Mfundo Vilakazi for his official senior debut. The prodigiously talented teenager almost broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute, forcing yet another intervention from Hleza to repel his well-struck volley from Du Preez’s superb cross from the right.
Edmilson Dove’s thunderous 80th minute shot from a tight angle was tipped over by Hleza and the ‘keeper somehow managed to turn a Chivaviro effort onto the upright with five minutes of normal time left.
With regulation time finishing scoreless, they went into an addition 30 minutes. Amakhosi had a golden opportunity to score in the first period when they were awarded a penalty for a handball by Milford fullback Unathi Samabhele. However, Chivaviro’s shot from 12 yards was saved by Hleza much to the dismay of the Amakhosi Faithful.
Milford defender Mthabela was sent off, receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Mmodi that clearly appeared to take place inside the penalty area. Yet, the referee awarded a free kick on the edge of the box when, in truth it should have been another penalty to Chiefs.
Milford managed to clear the ball from heir goal line in the final moments of extra time as Amakhosi sought that elusive winning goal, and that was enough to hold onto the draw until full time.
After both teams scored their opening penalties, Castillo skied his kick over the crossbar with Amakhosi’s second effort. Milford substitute Bulelani Sigomoshe then stepped up to see his penalty saved by Bruce Bvuma. However, the referee ordered a retake, having judged the Chiefs goalkeeper to have been off his line too early. Sigomoshe did not waste his second chance and despatched his kick into the net.
From then on, nobody missed and it was fitting for Hleza to secure a memorable victory for his club.
For Kaizer Chiefs, it will be a case of “one that got away’. The team created enough scoring opportunities to have won comfortably.
Line-ups:
Chiefs XI: Bvuma (44), Dove © (2), Kwinika (4) (Solomons (18) 111’), Mashiane (19) (Nj Ngcobo (27) 115’), Msimango (25), Mthethwa (5) (Maart (8) 97’), Castillo (17), Nk Ngcobo (12) (Vilakazi (28) 63’), Shabalala (42) (Chivaviro (7) 63’), Du Preez (9), Saile Basomboli (21) (Mmodi (13) 63’)
Subs: Petersen (1); Dolly (10), Duba (36)
Coach: Cavin Johnson
Milford XI: Hleza (32), Mthabela (24), Mbhele (50), Ngxongo © (13), Somabhele (7) (Vilakazi (3) 119’), Mthiyane (11), Ndlabi (21) (Cele (22) 115’), Nzama (25) (Mkhize (10) 90+2’), Zikakayo (40) (Siyaya (20) 45’), Gxakoshe (26) (Sigomoshe (2) 45’), Chili (8).
Subs: Madondo (30); Mbambo (36), Mthwethwa (55), Magubane (27)
Coach: Pupuma Xanti
