Lacklustre Chiefs Lose Ground

01 November 2011

ABSA Premiership

Date: 1 November 2011

Result: Maritzburg United 0-0 Kaizer Chiefs

Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

Referee: Daniel Bennett

Maritzburg United held Kaizer Chiefs to a goalless draw and maintained an unbeaten home run at the interval of their PSL clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium this evening.

Chiefs almost started the game in the best way possible when a suicidial clearance from Maritzburg defender Mor Diouf found Thomas Sweswe in the area but goalkeeper Shu-Aib Walters bailed out his defender and smothered the shot.

The game continued at a breakneck pace and the hosts soon had a chance of their own when Felix Obada and Prince Olomu combined to force a smart save from Arthur Bartman in the 8th minute. Diyo Sibisi showed an encouraging inclination to shoot from range but was nowhere near finding the target.

Chiefs were finding it difficult to break through the Maritzburg midfield but Siphiwe Tshabalala opened them up with a sweetly timed pass for Lucky Baloyi who was dispossessed by the industrious Rheese Evans.

George Lebese and Baloyi had shots blocked in the minutes that followed as the Amakhosi tried to engineer a clear-cut chance, as the Soweto giants were looking the more likely of the two sides to score with their opponents struggling to hold on to possession.

Maritzburg did manage to muster another opportunity when Diouf turned and shot wide off a corner in the 36th minute. They were proving a threat on the counter through the pacey Obada.

Mthokozisi Yende came within a whisker's breadth of notching up his first goal for Chiefs with a scorching snap-shot that rattled the advertising hoardings after some enterprising interplay from the visitor's forwards. Baloyi had even better chance when he found himself unmarked in the area but was perhaps a bit too casual with his sidefoot shot and the Maritzburg defence recovered in time. 

Baloyi ended the half by pulling out the best in Walters with a precise long-range strike.

Obada gave his side a decent start to the second period by ghosting past Dominic Isaacs but the speedster fired his shot straight at Bartman from a tight angle. Olomu saw his header sail well over the crossbar from the corner that followed. Obada was again in the thick of things in the 57th minute as his pace took him past Isaacs but he chose the wrong option and shot wide from the right side of the area with Olomu screaming for it in the middle.

Tshabalala floated in an inviting ball for Bernard Parker with the Maritzburg defence ball-watching but the Bafana striker could not find the right touch and saw the ball loop over the crossbar. Chiefs were feeling the pressure as their supporters began to get on the team's back for a lack of imagination in attack.

Morne Davids came on for his debut in the 72nd minute and almost made an immediate impact, running onto a cross from Obada but shooting wide in acres of space.

Parker had another chance to break the deadlock but although he peeled off from the Maritzburg defenders, his powerful header lacked accuracy.

It proved to be their best chance of the half and they saw another chance in an opportunity to go top of the league vanish when the referee blew the final whistle. Maritzburg remain unbeaten at home. 

Maritzburg United: Walters, Matuka, Diouf, Olomu (F Davids 85'), Hendricks, Evans, Obada, Booysen (Madondo 67'), Lentjies, Sosibo (M Davids 72'), Sibisi

Kaizer Chiefs: Bartman, Tau, Isaacs, Sweswe, Jambo, Yende, Nengomasha, Baloyi (Dladla 73'), Tshabalala, Parker, Lebese (L Khune 77')