Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs played out to an entertaining 1-1 draw at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon in the opening clash of the 2018-19 Absa Premiership.
Both sides came into the opening day of the season looking to get off to a good start.
Chiefs, with their new coach Giovanni Solinas on the touchline for the first time, were looking to make a statement with a win over the defending champions, while Downs were looking to show the same hunger and desire which saw them lift their eighth Absa Premiership trophy last season.
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Sundowns started the brighter of the two teams, but it was the Glamour Boys who took the early lead.
Gaston Sirino looked to turn with the ball just outside his box and was dispossessed by Ramahlwe Mphahlele. The defender drove into the box and stroked his shot past Denis Onyango and into the bottom corner, 1-0 to the visitors with just eight minutes played.
Chiefs settled well after the goal and were looking to deny Downs any space in a game that was turning out to be a feisty affair.
Pitso Mosimane’s team were then gifted a chance to equalise after Jeremy Brockie was brought down by a clumsy Daniel Cardoso challenge in the box and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.
Ricardo Nascimento stepped up for the Brazilians and he made no mistake, dispatching the ball into the bottom right-hand corner, despite Itumeleng Khune diving the right way, 1-1 the score after 24 minutes.
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Brockie then came close to putting the home side in the lead with 38 minutes gone, but his downward volley hit the ground and then brushed the crossbar on its way out for a goal kick.
It was 1-1 at the break with both teams seemingly happy to go into the changerooms level.
Chiefs started the second half well and threatened Onyango’s goal early on in the piece when Khama Billiat ghosted into the box but the Zimbabwean couldn’t beat the Ugandan goalkeeper from a tight angle.
It was then Khune’s chance to shine as he spread himself brilliantly to deny Brockie from close range with 60 minutes gone.
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Both teams traded half-chances but were struggling to break each other down as the frenetic pace of a game of this magnitude so early in the season started to take its toll on the players.
Both coaches made changes in an attempt to find a winner but it was not forthcoming as both teams had to settle for a point apiece.
Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
