Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp was surprised to see Black Leopards defender Edwin Gymah being named Man of the Match.

Amakhosi moved 10-points clear at the top of the Absa Premiership standings, despite playing out to a 1-1 draw with Leopards on Saturday afternoon.

The Soweto giants grabbed an early lead through Samir Nurkovic before Mogakolodi Ngele equalised after the half hour mark as they were forced to share the spoils by claiming a point each.

‘This is the reason not to be happy about, picking a point or something like this. We wanted three. During the game more and more we pushed, we tried the field is not really allowing to plus a triangle, a diamond through the midfield,’ Middendorp told SuperSport TV after the game.

‘Ja it took it’s own dimension, anyway it’s just definitely something where the opponent’s half was a clearance zone, the balls were flying left and right.

‘Very interesting to select a defender [as Man of the Match], we have seen the performance over 90 minutes…compliment err, okay let’s stick to it, good. We’re a bit disappointed, there’s no doubt about it.

‘We wanted three points, I think with a bit of more concentration in particular after we scored, at 1-0 we allowed them to come at us a little bit, overloading, left and right, we were not really sorted. Good, we corrected it at half-time, anyway, we take it, but disappointment absolutely at this moment here around.’

Middendorp went on to explain the reason behind excluding Kearyn Baccus from the starting line-up

‘As I said before, you have players who have not been around this area, Baccus is normally a first XI player, Samir [Nurkovic] hasn’t been here too and you could see, the fear to handle the environment, to handle the heat,’ he added.

‘I thought okay let me start with one who doesn’t know anything about it here and then during the game bring Kearyn and some other guys in, good normally it works and the was time enough to put it in place. We always say we don’t only have 11 players, we have 12, 13, 14 belonging to our first choice, give us some options and that’s it.’