Kaizer Chiefs suffered their third defeat of the Betway Premiership season after going down 2-0 to Polokwane City on Sunday afternoon.
Betway Premiership
Result: Polokwane City 2-0 Kaizer Chiefs
Date: 08 December 2024
Venue: New Peter Mokaba Stadium
Chiefs made two changes following their draw against Royal AM, as Inacio Miguel returned from his suspension and took the place of Given Msimango while Njabulo Blom was recalled in place of the injured Dillan Solomons.
Amakhosi had a slow start as they went behind on 17 minutes after Oswin Appollis finished off a cross from Tlou Nkwe lurking at the back post.
Nasreddine Nabi's charges struggled to combine going forward and just before the half-hour mark, Yusuf Maart took matters into his own hands with a long range shot that flashed past the top corner.
Chiefs upped their tempo going forward towards the interval as Mduduzi Shabalala had a chance with a curling shot from the edge of the box that dragged wide.
After committing numbers going forward, The Glamour Boys were nearly punished from a counter-attack on the stroke of half-time after Mokibelo Ramabu latched onto a through ball by Appollis but his volley flew slightly over the crossbar.
Nabi reacted with a double attacking change at half-time, as Sirino and Wandile Duba were withdrawn and in came Tebogo Potsane and Mfundo Vilakazi.
Potsane and Vilakazi added some spark for Chiefs early in the second stanza and around the hour-mark, Maart came close to equalising with a looping shot that hit the top of the crossbar after a save by goalkeeper Manuel Sapunga.
The Soweto giants were pressurizing Polokwane in the closing stages and with nine minutes to go, they were unfortunate not to be level after Potsane connected well with a volley from outside the box that rattled the post.
The Glamour sent numbers forward in the dying minutes and were caught on a counter-attack after Ramabu sealed the three points for Rise and Shine with a shot from a rebound in the box.
The win took Polokwane up to third on the log while Amakhosi remained in ninth spot.
Polokwane City: 1. Sapunga, 2. Matuludi, 3. Nkwe, 4. Nikani, 34. Nkaki, 14. Maphangule, 19. Mapfumo, 21. Kambala, 7. Ramabu, 12. Alexander, 11. Appollis
Subs: 50. Okoth, 33. Ndlovu, 5. Baloyi, 24. Seabi, 8. Letshedi, 10. Marema, 16. Goovadia, 17. Dlamini, 9. Chauke
Kaizer Chiefs: 1. Petersen, 6. Blom, 84. Miguel, 34. Dortley, 48. Cross, 5. Mthethwa, 8. Maart, 42. Shabalala, 37. Duba, 10. Sirino, 9. Du Preez.
Subs: 44. Bvuma, 24. Ditlhokwe, 4. Kwinika, 19. Mashiane, 37. Zwane, 28. Vilakazi, 11. Potsane, 13. Mmodi, 7. Chivaviro
