Premier Soccer League


ABSA Stadium


Durban, Kwa- Zulu Natal


Saturday 25th August 2008


20h00


Playing Conditions: 30% chance of showers, gentle easterly wind, temperature at kick off 17°C


Shaun Bartlett opened up his account for this season when he brought Chiefs level in the fortieth minute of their PSL encounter against Jomo Cosmos at the ABSA Stadium in Durban on Saturday evening; Chiefs fell behind in the game when Anthony Laffor struck home a penalty in the 38th minute of the match.

Cosmos were on the receiving end of a generous decision by referee Charl Theron who seemed to have gotten things horribly wrong, by awarding the visitors the spot kick after he ruled that Moketi Tsotetsi had pulled down Davies Mwape. Chiefs dominated proceedings in the second of the half match after Cosmos were reduced to ten men, and Ezenkosi had goalkeeper Avril Phali to thank as he made a number of brave stops to help earn them a point.

According to plan

It was predicted prior to kick off that Cosmos would favour playing a very counter attacking game, by being strong at the back and thwarting the Chiefs attacks and trying to catch The Amakhosi on the break.

This rang true in the 21st minute when David Mathebula lost the ball close to the Cosmos 18 yard area and Ezenkosi launched the ball up field, where it landed to Davies Mwape who hit a sweet volley which floated above Khune and shaved the top of the Chiefs goal on its way out.

Just past the half hour mark and some good defending by Helder Muinga prevented Cosmos from going a goal behind, as Shaun Bartlett played a short pass to Mabhudi Khenyeza who was on his right. Khenyeza in turn played the ball across goal to the left where Onismor Bhasera came storming in a hit a powerful shot towards goal, out of virtually no where Muinga slid in to block Bhasera’s effort.

Harsh penalty

Chiefs went a goal behind after 38 minutes when Anthony Laffor scored from the penalty spot to put Cosmos 1-0 up, the penalty decision looked harsh as referee Charles Theron awarded the kick against Chiefs when he decided that Moketi Tsotetsi had pulled down Davies Mwape.

In truth it was a poor decision by Theron as the two players collided with each other and he should not have awarded a penalty, Anthony Laffor closed the argument when he struck the ball straight down the middle as Khune went to his left and scored to give Cosmos the advantage.

Brilliant Bartlett

In this corresponding fixture a season ago, Shaun Bartlett sparked a Chiefs revival when he scored his first official goal for Chiefs in a league game against Cosmos at a time when The Amakhosi were trailing 2-0. On Saturday Bartlett netted his first goal of the current campaign against Ezenkosi when he brought Chiefs level in the fortieth minute of the match.

Bartlett had a shot blocked by Valery Nahayo which went out for a corner on the left, from the resulting corner the ball went over to Jonathan Quartery who played a gentle pass forward to Cyril Nzama the Chiefs skipper floated a ball goal wards from the by line.

Which his opposite number in the form of Cosmos captain Valery Nahayo deflected towards his own goal, Phali at full stretch pushed the ball back into play, Shaun Bartlett was quickest to react as ran onto the ball and smacked it home to level matters.

Second half onslaught

Cosmos were reduced to ten men just nine minutes into the second half when Anthony Laffor collected his second yellow cards, when he went in for a two footed challenge on David Mathebula and knocked the creative and nippy Amakhosi man off his feet.

Chiefs did all they could from then onwards to make the most of their numerical advantage and launched an aerial bombardment on the Cosmos goal, but all their efforts were in vain as Cosmos known for their abilities to defend in numbers did just that and at all costs tried to prevent The Amakhosi from finding the match winner.

In typical Cosmos fashion they did not refrain from coming in hard on Chiefs and committed over thirty fouls on The Amakhosi in the second half alone. Chiefs best chance of finding a winner in the second half fell to Mabhudi Khenyeza on the hour mark, as he was able to use his pace and lost his marker Thapelo Tshilo once he shook off the attention of Tshilo the Chiefs striker took an angled shot at goal Avril Phali in the Cosmos goal threw his legs out and kicked the ball away to safety.

Delightful debut

While Chiefs launched attack after attack they had to be wary of Cosmos catching them on the break, and The Amakhosi had debutant goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune to thank for making two magnificent saves in the second half to keep Cosmos from taking the lead.

The first on 57 minutes saw the South Africa junior international goalkeeper lunge himself in the air, as he rose at full stretch off the ground to block a long range shot from Davies Mwape. With fifteen minutes of the match remaining the young keeper was at it again as he punched a powerful angled shot targeted at his near post from Dikgang Mabalane away, Khune came off his line and met the ball with his fists while it was in flight and got the ball away to safety.

Line Up’s:

Kaizer Chiefs (4-4-2): 32. Itumeleng Khune, 4. Cyril Nzama, 35. Jonathan Quartey,

33. Ditheko Mototo, 29. Moketi Tsotetsi, 3. Onismor Bhasera, 12. Thabo Mooki,

8. Tinashe Nengomasha, 24. David Mathebula, 17. Shaun Bartlett, 5. Mabhudi Khenyeza




Substitutions:


In: 26. Thuso Phala, Out: 3. Onismor Bhasera 68 min


In: 20. Sandile Zuke, Out: 35. Jonathan Quartey 79 min




Substitutes not used: 1. Markus Bocsker, 27. Gerald Sibeko, 18. Arthur Zwane, 2. Jimmy Tau, 19. Sihle Mbambo




Cautions: Yellow Cards, 3. Onismor Bhasera 9 min (Dissent), 29. Moketi Tsotetsi 37 min (Dissent), 5. Mabhudi Khenyeza 86 min (unsporting conduct, threw ball at Thapelo Tshilo), 4. Cyril Nzama 90+1 min (sliding in on Mabalane)

Coach: Muhsin Ertugral


Assistant Coach: Fani Madida


Goalkeeper Coach: Rainer Dinkelacker

Jomo Cosmos (5-4-1): 100. Avril Phali, 4. Thapelo Tshilo, 5. Valery Nahayo, 6. Renilwe Letsholonyane, 7. Clint Sipho Sephadi, 9. Davies Mwape, 17. Letholoa Mofokeng, 24. Helder Muinga, 27. Dikgang Mabalane, 20. Bamuza Sono, 18. Anthony Laffor




Substitutions:

In: 2. Sydney Plaatjies, Out: 6. Renilwe Letsholonyane 61 min




Substitutes not used: 13. Sam Magelefa, 12. Sibusiso Hadebe, 15. Innocent Ntsume,

17. Letholoa Mofokeng, 35. Nkanyiso Zondi, 68. Richard De Villiers




Cautions: Yellow Cards, 18. Anthony Laffor 11 min (Unsporting conduct), 4. Thapelo Tshilo 52 min (tackle from behind on Mabhudi Khenyeza), 2. Sydney Plaatjies 83 min (hacking down Thuso Phala from behind)

Red Cards: 18. Anthony Laffor 54 min (Second yellow for studs up challenge on Mathebula)

Coach: Jomo Sono


Assistant Coach: Collen Tlemo


Goalkeeper Coach: Merikani Mpangi

Match Officials


Referee: Charl Theron


Assistant 1: Isaac Arendse


Assistant 2: Luyanda Somi


4th Official: T. Gumede


Match Commissioner: P. Masemola