Kaizer Chiefs were held to a 0-0 draw by SuperSport United in an Absa Premiership encounter at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday evening, writes MARSHALL GOUTS.
SuperSport XI: 1. Pieterse, 18. Nhlapo, 29. Gould, 27. Egwuekwe , 14. Bhasera, 8. Furman, 6. Letsholonyane, 28. Mokoena, 24,. Mbule, 16. Modiba, 11. Brockie.
Chiefs XI: 16. Khune, 4. Cardoso, 20. Hadebe, 30. Ngezana, 36. Ntiya-Ntiya, 23. Molangoane, 13. Katsande, 12. Maluleka, 27. Ekstein, 14. Tshabalala, 9. Páez.
The visitors got off to the brighter start of the two teams and almost took the lead when Hendrick Ekstein combined with Gustavo Paez, but the forward’s effort went wide of the target.
SuperSport appeared content with shading the possesion stakes with Siphiwe Tshabalala and Ekstein largely dictating terms for Amakhosi in the midfield.
The home side came agonisingly close to opening the scoring with their first effort at goal when Aubrey Modiba picked out Sipho Mbule, however the midfielder’s effort was kept out by a ladt-ditch tackle from Daniel Cardoso.
Chiefs should have taken the lead on the stroke of half-time, but were superbly kept out by former player Morgan Gould, as the two sides went into the half-time break deadlocked at 0-0.Willard Katsande came agonisingly close to opening the scoring minutes after the restart , but his powerful header went over the bar.
Reyaad Pieterse showed great awareness to deny Chiefs from opening the lead, when he rushed off his line to deny Joseph Molangoane in a one-on-one situation.
Not to be outdone, Itumeleng Khune produced a world-class save of his own two minutes later to deny Jeremy Brockie’s goalbound header, with the striker subsequent;ly being ruled offside from the rebound.
Chiefs opted for their first change of the game in the 75th minute as Paez made way for Dumisani Zuma. Minutes later, debutant Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya was forced off through injury and was subsequently replaced by Khosto Malope.
Khune ensured that the scoreline remained level late on when he brilliantly kept out Modiba’s set-piece.
Neither side were able to find a late winner and were forced to settle for a share of the points.
Photo: Muzi Ntomebla/Backpagepix
