Red card fails to derail Kaizer Chiefs from late win over Richards Bay

IT should have been a much easier victory, 4-1 perhaps. But then again it could also have gone pretty pear-shaped for Kaizer Chiefs.

In the end, it took a breakaway goal for the Amakhosi to secure a 2-1 Premiership victory over Richards Bay FC at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Wednesday night that had earlier seemed a given, only for it to be threatened by a sending-off that probably should not have been.

Chiefs looked dominant in the first half, and should have rendered the clash a no-contest before halftime had they made use of their chances.

They did not, and early after the break, Reeve Frosler received his second booking for a foul that never was, and thus got his marching orders.

90 + 6’| 🟥#KC 2 : 1 #RB

Full time score: (Duba 21’, Du Preez 68’) Kaizer Chiefs 2 : 1 Richards Bay FC (Mbuthuma 90 + 1’)

Betway Man of The Match: Yusuf Maart#Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome #BetwayPrem pic.twitter.com/zbMghTHrKB

— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) November 27, 2024

Leading 1-0 at the time thanks to Wandile Duba’s 21st-minute strike, Chiefs suddenly found themselves under pressure as the visitors made their numerical advantage count.

As is always the case in this beautiful game, teams chasing the game and smelling blood always leave themselves vulnerable to counter-attacks or being caught on the break.

Brandon Truter’s men were victims of the latter, the Natal Rich Boyz losing possession in their own half as they were trying to surge forward, and Chiefs captain Yusuf Maart spun brilliantly to release a fantastic through-pass for Ashley du Preez, who needed no second invitation to slot home past Ian Otieno.

You knew the importance of the goal through the fact that coach Nasredinne Nabi got off his seat to celebrate, the Tunisian who had surgery recently having spent most of the match sitting down.

The Frosler red card had turned given Richards Bay the upper hand, and Chiefs desperately needed that goal to stem the tide.

They should have scored a third on yet another break after Du Preez made a fantastic run and then decided to share the ball with Maart, who incredibly shot the ball against the side of the net when faced with just the goalkeeper.

Yet, when they reflect, they will know they were their own worst enemies in allowing themselves to be as threatened as they were following Frosler’s sending-off.

Chiefs were good value for their 1-0 lead at the break, although they actually should have killed off the match as a contest by the time referee Cedric Muvhali blew the whistle for halftime.

The Amakhosi started the match at a frenetic pace and put the visitors under the cosh, their intent clear from the onset.

They varied their attacks – sometimes going straight through the centre as Sibongiseni ‘Ox’ Mthethwa bossed the midfield – and then going on the wings, from where they penetrated the Richards Bay final third, strangely without using a few crosses, but rather through dribbles.

From one of those attacks on the left, Pule Modi was sent through on goal as early as the fourth minute, but he smashed the ball against the side-netting.

Richards Bay did the same on the other side five minutes later after some magical work by Somila Ntsundwana on the wing.

Richards Bay goalkeeper Otieno came to his team’s rescue on 13 minutes, the Kenyan being alert to the looming danger posed by a ball punted long from the Chiefs half.

He left his line to snatch the ball right from Duba’s feet and got slightly injured in the process.

But there was nothing he could do to stop Duba from opening the scoring on 21 minutes when the youngster slotted home following a good cross from the left.

Chiefs could have and should have added two more goals before the halftime break.

Just after the half-hour mark, Given Msimango headed wide when scoring looked much easier after a long punt from the right by Mduduzi Shabalala found him unmarked inside the box.

Shortly thereafter, on 35 minutes, Bradley Cross also inexplicably headed wide with the goals wide open in front of him again following fantastic work by Shabalala.

In the end, those misses did not have too much impact as Chiefs pocketed the maximum points in front of a vociferous Polokwane crowd, who are sure to again come to the same stadium in their numbers when Amakhosi host yet another KwaZulu-Natal outfit in the form of Royal Am on Saturday.

They did this despite Yanela Mbuthuma pulling one back for Richards Bay late in the match, with the officials having indicated that there would be six minutes of time added on for stoppages to be played.

• In the other Premiership clash on Wednesday night, Cape Town City claimed just their second victory in the league this season when they held off Polokwane City 1-0 at the Athlone Stadium.

Victory at home! 🔔#iamCityFC pic.twitter.com/NF5DL3c7XU

— Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC) November 27, 2024

Thamsanqa Mkhize was the hero for Eric Tinkler’s team by grabbing the winner in the 56th minute.