Chiefs reclaim top spot with Santos win
Chiefs reclaim top spot with Santos win

Posted in News on Mar 15, 2006.

Santos 1 (C. Scott 26 min)

Kaizer Chiefs 3 (Schalkwyk 25 min & 82 min, Mayo 45+ min)

There was a touch of nostalgia for Chiefs when they took on Santos at the Newlands rugby stadium in Cape Town in front of a large crowd on Wednesday. In an effort to add a touch of excitement to proceedings, Ebrahim Rasool the Western Cape Premier called upon the services of former Chiefs PRO Putco Mafani to carry out the duties of MC and entertain the crowd. While Mafani was in full cry on the touchlines the 22 men on the field did their best to keep the crowd riveted and on the edge of their seats for 90 minutes.

Santos came with clear instructions from their coach to derail Chiefs' title aspirations and although the home team did offer Chiefs a few nervy moments, the Amakhosi were good for their victory. The last time Chiefs comprehensively beat Santos was in the 1999-2000 season when Chiefs won by the same emphatic 3-1 score line. Wednesday evening’s game started at a frantic pace as both teams attacked without prejudice looking for goals early on. Ditheko Mototo had a chance to put his name in lights early on but shot straight at the Santos goalie.

Chiefs took the lead half way through the first half when Louis Agyemang miskicked his shot and Gert Schalkwyk reacted quickest to the loose ball as he beat the pedestrian Santos defence and knocked the ball past a stunned Wardle in the Santos goal. Like they have done on a number of occasions this season - Chiefs conceded a goal immediately after scoring, when a mix up between Rowen Fernandez and his defence allowed Carlo Scott in to take advantage and knock the ball into an empty net.

Chiefs could have taken the lead just after the half hour mark as Arthur Zwane starting in his 200th PSL game cut through the Santos defense and chipped the ball over Wardle only to see it hit the cross bar. As half time drew closer, Scott was sent clear and ran into the Chiefs penalty area and chipped the ball over Rowen Fernandez. Patrick Mayo man-of-the-match cleared what seemed a certain goal off the line. A minute later from the clearance Chiefs broke away and won a corner from which Mayo gave Chiefs the lead going into the half time break.

Santos came out in the second half with the aim to level matters and could have done so early on, but Omar Hendricks was unlucky to see his well struck shot come off the upright with Rowen Fernandez beaten. Chiefs continued carving out chances but were unable to make them count. The introduction of David Mathebula with 15 minutes of the game to go helped stamp Chiefs dominance on the midfield battles, as he supported Gert Schalkwyk going forward and Tinashe Nengomasha in tidying at the back.

Mathebula played an instrumental part in Chiefs third goal as played a neat-one-two with Arthur Zwane who layed off the ball to Gert Schalkwyk to neatly side foot the ball home and give Chiefs the game. Kaizer Chiefs end the day as they began it back - in pole position on top of the PSL. Chiefs will now begin to grow in confidence that a third PSL title is very possible with the game against Moroka Swallows on Saturday night at FNB Stadium.

Tickets are already available for the Swallows game at Computicket and Shoprite/Checkers stores nationwide.



Line Up’s:

Santos: 29. B. Wardle, 23. E. Burton, 22. Z. Makonese, 13. B. Hendricks, 5. M. Bean (17. Cloete 80 min), 6. S. Bax, 7. M. Bantam, 25. D. Selolwane, 24. O. Hendricks,

8. C. Scott (9. Ithier 51 min), 18. R. Scott (10. Kanono 69 min)

Substitutes: 30. J. Barnard, 2. M.O. Ongao, 27. T. R. October, 21. R. Nauseb, 10. T. Kanono, 17. R. Cloete, 9. J. M. Ithier,

Coach: Roger Da Sa

Kaizer Chiefs: 1. R. Fernandez, 2. J. Tau, 4. C. Nzama, 6. F. McCarthy, 33. D. Mototo (24. Mathebula 75 min), 21. P. Mayo, 8. T. Nengomasha, 18. A. Zwane, 25.G.Schalkwyk (27. Sibeko 90+ min), 20. L Agyemang (31. Radebe 69 min)

Substitutes: 16. E. Baron, 28. D. Spencer, 31. D. Radebe, 7. K. Motaung Jnr, 27. G. Sibeko, 5. P. Mabedi, 24. D. Mathebula

Yellow Cards:

Santos: Marwan Bantam 49 min

Kaizer Chiefs: Patrick Mayo 36 min, 8. Tinashe Nengomasha

Referee: B. Gqubule


Assistant 1: G. Piedt


Assistant 2: S. Jibiliza


4th Official: K. De Goeda





by Yusuf Muhammed

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