Playing Conditions: High temperatures light wind expected temperature at kick off 29°C

Their inability to turn the many goal scoring opportunities they had into the back of the net cost The Amakhosi two valuable points as they had to settle for a goalless draw against Jomo Cosmos in the ABSA Premiership match played in blistering heat at the Oppenheimer Stadium in Orkney on Sunday afternoon.

It was the kind of match which both Chiefs and their hosts were desperately looking to win in order to improve on their current league standings. For Chiefs their overall performance was an improvement from their midweek defeat to Thanda Royal but The Amakhosi did squander many goal scoring opportunities.

Given the hot weather it was a surprise that both teams were able to play at such a high tempo, and they gave the fairly sizeable crowd some good afternoons entertainment. The fact that there were no goals in a match which saw both teams have at least eight clear cut chances was a disappointment; Chiefs now though have to work on their finishing for their up coming midweek clash with Wits.

Cosmos dominate

There was a period in the first half which Cosmos had the upper hand and came seriously close to notching up the games first goal. Ten minutes into the match, Cosmos midfielder Letsholonyane was clever than the Chiefs off side trap and was sent in the clear by a ball from the back which left the Amakhosi backline asking for the offside call which was turned down. With Letsholonyane in the clear, Itumeleng Khune charged off his line but Letsholonyane lobbed the ball over the Chiefs keeper, as it bounced goal wards Moketi Tsotetsi ran behind Khune and headed the ball to safety.

Mabalane miss

A few seconds after Letsholonyane went close to scoring, Dikgang Mabalane then spurned a glorious goal scoring opportunity - Cosmos quickly retrieved the ball off a Chiefs clearance and Mabalane was played in on the right side. He was able to get into the Chiefs 18 yard area and from just in front of the six yard box, he drove the ball goal wards but he put too much power into his shot and floated of Khune and out for a goal kick.

Bhasera’s bursts

The first half for Chiefs was characterized for Chiefs by Onismor Bhasera’s charging up from defence and got Chiefs into good scoring chances - on the way up he tormented Cosmos right back Makala, who could literally not keep up to speed with the Zimbabwean international.

As early as the second minute Bhasera pushed up and laid the ball off to Siphiwe Tshabalala who from the left hand side of the Cosmos penalty box, hit the ball first time but Phali managed to pluck the ball out of the air. Another telling sojourn up field by Bhasera just past the half hour point, saw him push up and roll the ball along the ground to Shaun Bartlett who connected with the ball but did not put enough power into the shot which picked up by Phali.

Junior attempt

As the first half wound down, Kaizer Motaung Junior came close on two occasions to breaking the deadlock. First up in the 39th minute Tshabalala’s cross from the left went across the face of goal. With no Chiefs player in sight to turn it home, instead the ball went out to the right flank where Jimmy Tau was standing, he whipped the ball back in towards goal this time Kaizer Junior standing just inside the Cosmos 18 yard box managed to control the ball and shot on the turn.

His attempt at goal though went just over Phali’s cross bar. Three minutes before the interval David Mathebula collected an Arthur Zwane throw in and ran a few meters with the ball, before knocking it forward for Motaung. Who picked up the ball and from the right hand side tried to beat the keeper at the far post, Phali threw himself across the turf and threw out a hand to stop the ball from going in.

Keepers to the fore

The second half was dominated by some excellent goalkeeping from both Itumeleng Khune and his opposite number Avril Phali, inside the opening few minutes of the second half Phali was called into action. This after David Mathebula was put clear on goal by Derrick Spencer, unsure whether he was off side Mathebula hesitated which allowed for Phali to gain some ground and when Mathebula eventually shot for goal Phali had closed down the angle and blocked the ball.

Khune made to sublime stops a few minutes apart, the first in the 53rd minute when he lunged off the ground and blocked a close range effort from Innocent Ntsume, five minutes on and he timed his run off his line to perfection as he came out and punched a shot by Geoffrey Massa clear.

Phala squanders

Chiefs best chance to have wrapped up the match came with 17 minutes of regular time to go, substitute Thuso Phala was the guilty party of letting a gem of a chance slip through. As the Chiefs substitute raced towards goal in the 73rd minute he beat his marker all ends up, when in the clear Phala opted to shoot for goal and his effort flew wide of Phali things might have turned out differently had he squared the ball to an unmarked Kaizer Junior who was just to his left.

In the end

As the game headed towards the finish line both teams pressed for a winner with four minutes of regulation time to go, Itumeleng Khune came up with a match winning save when he stuck out a leg to block a shot from Massa. Who had barged into the Chiefs danger zone and smacked the ball towards goal from a few yards out, only for Khune to throw his body on the line and kick the ball out for a corner.

Match Information:

Jomo Cosmos: 100. Phali, 22. Macala, 2. Plaatjies, 23. Morgan Gould, 4. Tshilo,

20. Sono, 6. Letsholonyane, 15. Ntsume, 27. Mabalane, 19. Massa, 9. Mwape

Substitutions:

In: 34. Tsepo Moloto : Out: 9. Dikgang Mabalane 57 min


In: 33. Gerald Mtshali : Out: 15. Innocent Ntsume 87 min

Substitutes not used: 1. Shiningayamwe, 12. Hadebe, 32. Mahlanghu, 26. Kaimbi,

24. Muinga

Coach: Jomo Sono


Assistant Coach: Collen Tlemo


Goalkeeper Coach: Merikani Mpangi

Kaizer Chiefs (4-4-2): 32. Khune, 2. Tau, 3. Bhasera, 29. Tsotetsi, 8. Nengomasha,

28. Spencer, 24. Mathebula, 18. Zwane, 14. Tshabalala, 17. Bartlett, 7. Motaung Junior

In: 5. Mabhudi Khenyeza : Out: 17. Shaun Bartlett 59 min


In: 26. Thuso Phala : Out: 18. Arthur Zwane 59 min


In: 12. Thabo Mooki : Out: 14. Siphiwe Tshabalala 68 min

Substitutes not used: 16. Baron, 4. Nzama, 33. Mototo, 20. Zuke

Cautions:

Yellow Cards: 28. Derrick Spencer (Unsporting Conduct) 78 min

Coach: Muhsin Ertugral


Assistant Coach: Fani Madida


Goalkeeper Coach Rainer Dinkelacker

Match Officials:

Referee: Andile Ngcobo


Assistant 1: Geronimo Piedt


Assistant 2: Tzimkhulu Chalambisa


4th Official: Gabriel Sekopo


Match Commissioner: Ian McLeod