Sekhukhune United were in no mood to hand out presents to Kaizer Chiefs or their fans as they left the Club’s 53rdbirthday party at FNB stadium with all three points after snaffling a 1-0 win in their DStv Premiership clash on Saturday evening.
Sekhukhune winger Vusi Mncube scored the game’s only goal in the 48th minute on a breakaway against the run of play.
The visitors were fast out of the blocks and felt they should have had a penalty in the second minute when Sammy Seabi went down under a challenge from Samkelo Zwane, but the referee waved the claims away.
The early exchanges were scrappy as both teams tried to come to terms with a surface proving difficult to play on.
In the sixth minute, S’fiso Hlanti’s foul on Tlotlo Leepile earned him a booking that rules him out of next week’s match against AmaZulu.
A Chiefs free kick on the edge of the Sekhukhune area after 14 minutes triggered a crazy passage of play. A training ground move saw Keagan Dolly and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo set up Reeve Frosler for a shot at goal. Badra Sangare parried the ball into the path of Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana, who was unable to tap the rebound home after he appeared to lose his balance at the crucial moment.
Sekhukhune sprang into attack and Itumeleng Khune was called upon to save Chibuike Ohizu’s glancing header. Meanwhile, back at the other end, the referee,Siyabulela Qunta and Chiefs skipper, Keagan Dolly were lying prone on the ground following an accidental collision as they followed the play. Both received treatment before resuming their roles.
Clear chances were few and far between but in the 26th minute, Yusuf Maart lifted the crowd’s already-celebratory mood with a rasping 20-yard shot that narrowly missed the target.
Bimenyimana was finding good positions and, on 32 minutes, went close with a far post header that flashed just wide and then almost converted Maart’s cut back, this time at the near post a few minutes later.
The teams went into the half-time break at 0-0.
It took only three minutes of second half action for the deadlock to be broken. Mncube dispossessed Zitha Kwinika as he tried to receive a pass from Edmilson Dove on the halfway line and ran through to beat Khune.
As Amakhosi sought a pathway back into the match, coach Arthur Zwane sent on attacking options in Ashley Du Preez and teenage sensation Mdu Shabalala. Both forwards, as well as Kgaogelo Sekgota, who was introduced a bit later, gave Chiefs greater offensive threat and Ivorian goalkeeper Sangare was called upon to make smart saves from Samkelo Zwane, Hlanti, Shabalala and Maart as the vociferous fans in the stands urged their heroes on.
However, it was not to be on the night and Sekhukhune held out to register their first back-to-back victories in the league this season and move up to 10th on the PSL log, while Chiefs remain in 4th spot on 24 points.
Amakhosi’s next assignment is an away fixture against AmaZulu in Durban on Friday, 13 January at Moses Mabhida Stadium, kicking off at 19:30.
Line-ups:
Chiefs XI: Khune (32); Kwinika (4), Dove (2), Hlanti (23), Frosler (39), Zwane (37) (Sekgota (14) 76’), Maart (8), Nk Ngcobo (12), Mahlatsi (5) (Du Preez (9) 54’), Dolly (10)(Shabalala (42) 62’), Bimenyimana (28)
Sekhukhune United XI: Sangare (30); Mobbie (2), Zulu (43), Cardoso © (4), Gyimah (39), Leepile (8) (Mosiatlhaga (11)88’), Ohizu (34) (Mahashe (44) 80’), Kabwe (15) (Mokhabi (6) 67’), Mncube (7) (Mokwana (17) 80’), Seabi (18), Letsoalo (21)
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