Posted in News on Apr 30, 2007.
Eldorado Park Stadium, Johannesburg
Premier Soccer Reserve League
30th April 2007
Kick Off: 15h00
Temperature: 23 ° C
The Kaizer Chiefs reserve team came through their toughest test yet on Monday afternoon with distinction, when they defeated their SuperSport United counterparts 3-1 in Eldorado Park. While the Chiefs reserve team were made up of mainly youth team players SuperSport United boasted eight regulars in their starting line up and could have been further strengthened had it not been for Richard Rantjie and Siboniso Gaxa picking up injuries in the pre match warm up.
On reading the SuperSport United starting eleven prior to kick off one would have thought that the young Chiefs team stood no chance, and coming out of the game with a point would have been a major achievement for Ace Khuse’s team. Instead they stood their ground and fought with everything they had and took the lead inside the first quarter of and hour through Louis Agyemang and went further ahead courtesy of an own goal scored by United defender Nkosi. Itumeleng Khune saved a Katlego Mashego penalty, before Mashego eventually found a way past Khune but the final word belonged to Chiefs as Gerald Sibeko found a goal in the final minute of the game to make the score 3-1.
It did not take Chiefs long to make it clear to SuperSport that they were not going to be intimidated by them, in the tenth minute David Mathebula played a neat one two with Agyemang before he got the ball out wide to Mbambo on the right, who in turn played the ball back towards Justice Pilusa lurking inside the SuperSport danger zone, Pilusa let the ball run onto Stephen Faba who was standing just beside behind him.
Faba knocked the ball on the volley goal wards, only for Niewenhuis to come up trumps as he stretched is leg out to knock the ball away. In the fourteenth minute Stephen Faba was instrumental in setting Louis Agyemang on his way to goal, with a defense cutting pass which Agyemang collected by running around the back of the unsuspecting United defense, before racing away to get the ball and easily beat Niewenhuis to give Chiefs the lead.
SuperSport United got their first crack at goal in the twentieth minute as Katlego Mashego picked out Tony Tzabedze, the latter lined up his shot as he took aim Mthimunye slid in to clear the danger. From the ensuing corner September timed his run to perfection and got his head to the ball, unfortunately for him he could not direct his effort and the ball flew high and over Itumeleng Khune.
On the stroke of halftime Louis Agyemang thought he had found the net for a second time but was denied a goal as a result of some excellent goalkeeping. Justice Pilusa managed to pick out Agyemang who was standing on the penalty spot, Agyemang spun round and hit the ball towards goal Niewenhuis made himself big and at full stretch punched the ball away. The SuperSport goalkeeper did have sufficient cover in case he missed the ball as Isaac Mabotsa was standing behind him, that action signaled the end of the first half with Chiefs leading 1-0.
Five minutes after the restart and Agyemang had again found his past the SuperSport rear guard and with the seemingly simple task of getting the ball past Dennis Onyango who had replaced Niewenhuis at half time. Agyemang took his time in finding his spot as the ball moved goal wards September came in to clear the ball away, three minutes after Agyemang had missed the opportunity to put Chiefs in a commanding position SuperSport could have leveled the scores.
Katlego Mphela pushed Teko Modise into a clear goal scoring situation when he played a pass straight down the centre, which Mphela collected and strolled towards goal. It gave Khune the chance to come off his goal line and by the time Modise took his shot, Khune who was almost in a kneeling posture threw out his hand and got the ball away from goal.
On 54 minutes Stephen Faba made a strong run down the left and saw Louis Agyemang unmarked and quickly played the ball towards him, Agyemang sold the SuperSport defense a dummy and let the ball run to Molekwane who smacked the ball first time and Onyango was up to the challenge rising acrobatically to push the ball over his cross bar.
As the hour mark approached David Mathebula weaved his way into the SuperSport United danger area, Mathebula aimed a pass at Louis Agyemang standing across from him the ball did not reach Agyemang instead United defender Nkosi knocked it past Onyango into his own net to put Chiefs 2-0 up.
In the 66th minute SuperSport were given a life line when Sihle Mbambo pulled back Katlego Mashego, referee Gomez duly pointed to the spot and awarded SuperSport a penalty. Mashego placed the ball on the spot and hit it to Khune’s left that was the direction the Chiefs keeper had chosen and with his arms stretched out he hit the ball over to his right. Khune thought quickly and ran in the opposite direction as Mashego raced onto the rebound and hit the ball back towards goal Khune was already in the right place to make the save.
Four minutes later Mashego did manage to beat Khune again it was the Modise – Mashego combination which did the trick, Modise and Mashego played a series of short passes. Before Mashego at an angle to the Chiefs goal shot across the face of goal and beat Khune, with a ball that went pass the Chiefs goalkeeper and beat him at his far post, inside the final four minutes of the game and Onyango was again made to work for his salary.
On this occasion Chiefs substitute Nyico Tshabangu launched a pile driver from way outside the SuperSport 18 yard area, Onyango once again managed to get the slightest touch on the ball and tipped it over his post. In the final minute of the match Chiefs made certain of the points, when Louis Agyemang’s cross was deflected goal wards by September Onyango managed to push the ball away only as far as Gerald Sibeko who walked the ball home from close range to make the score 3-1.
Ace Khuse will have been very happy with the overall work rate and performance of his players, as they have managed to achieve a feat which has eluded the Kaizer Chiefs first team for many years now. That is to be able to beat SuperSport twice in one season, with this hard fought win on Monday the Chiefs reserves will be well prepared for their next assignment, which will be a top of the table clash against Orlando Pirates in a weeks time.
Line Up’s:
Kaizer Chiefs: 16. I. Khune, 91. S. Mbambo, 4. N. Mthinyiwa, 2. M. Masenya,
5. S. Faba (18. Ndwandwe 58 min), 24. D. Mathebula (19. Gololo 83 min),
27. G. Sibeko, 23. L. Molekwane, 17. S. Zuke, 22. J. Pilusa (10. Tshabangu 74 min),
20. L. Agyemang
Substitutes: 1. T. Ngobeni, 18. M. Ndwandwe, 12. S. Nqothani, 19. B. Gololo,
10. N. Tshabangu
Coach: Donald Khuse
SuperSport United: 30. L. Niewenhuis (1. Onyango 46 min), 11. T. Modise,
10. K. Mphela, 26. T. September, 4. T. Mahoa, 17. T. Tzabedze, 21. K. Mashego,
16. I. Mabotsa, 20. S. Nkosi, 15. M. Nkambule (22. Khuela 56 min), 13. T. Ntshumayigo
Substitutes: 1. D. Onyango, 8. T. Mokeke, 16. M. Zongo, 24. K. Mokotjo, 22. P. Kuela, 18. A. Golding
Coach: T. Madigage
Cautions: SuperSport United, Yellow Cards, 16. Isaac Mabotsa 8 min, 4. Tsietsi Mahoa 25 min, 10. Katlego Mphela 64 min, 26. Thabo September 87 min
Kaizer Chiefs, Yellow Cards, 23. Lawrence Molekwane 45 min
Officials:
Referee: Victor Gomez
Assistant 1: Collen Phiri
Assistant 2: M. Skosana
4th Official: S. Xhasa
Match Commissioner: E. Motsoane
