Kaizer Chiefs start second round with scrappy stalemate against AmaZulu
Coach Nabi started with all three of Chiefs’ January signings, Morris, Lilepo and Cele
Kaizer Chiefs started the second round of the Betway Premiership with a disappointing 2-2 draw in a scrappy match against AmaZulu at FNB Stadium on Tuesday night.
The result is a continuation of Chiefs' inconsistency in the league where they've won two, drew one and lost three in their last six matches.
AmaZulu came to the match with similarly erratic form having had two victories, two losses and a draw.
Perhaps influenced by knocks suffered by some of the players in Chiefs' intense 1-0 Soweto derby defeat against Orlando Pirates on Saturday, Amakhosi coach Nasreddine Nabi made six changes to his starting line-up.
Richard Ofori makes a terrible mistake 🤯
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) February 4, 2025
The teams are level with less than 20 minutes of regulation time to go⏳
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The Tunisian started with all three of Chiefs' January signings in striker Tashreeq Morris, winger Glody Lilepo and midfielder Thabo Cele. In defence Nabi brought back Bradley Cross on the left and Reeve Frosler on the right, while captain Yusuf Maart also started after coming off the bench against Pirates.
Amakhosi started the match brightly and should have taken the lead but shots from Maart and Lilepo were well kept out by Richard Ofori in AmaZulu's goals.
Chiefs were rewarded in the 18th minute when Frosler, who had been banging in some good balls on the right, had his cross tapped into the net by AmaZulu defender and former Chiefs player Ramahlwe Mphahlele.
Did Tashreeq Morris just score on his Amakhosi debut? 👀
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) February 4, 2025
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Mphahlele had no knowledge of his touch as the ball first bounced off Morris before ricocheting off his shoulder to beat Ofori.
Instead of ensuring they protect their lead Chiefs allowed AmaZulu an easy equaliser within five minutes of their lead. Rowen Human who had a good partnership with Pule Ekstein in Usuthu's engine room, provided a good assist for Tshepang Moremi to beat Chiefs keeper Bruce Bvuma with a low shot in the 23rd.
From then the match deteriorated into a scrappy affair, with no team willing to take their chances. In midfield AmaZulu's Bongani Zungu put in a good shift and at times showed his class with some strong combinations with the AmaZulu attackers.
The second half was more open with both teams continuing to make mistakes in defence. Usuthu capitalised on that and took the lead via Namibian striker Elmo Kambindu, who was given free space to head in Human's corner in the 61st minute.
Ofori, who was guilty of bad positioning in Chiefs' opening goal, was again at fault in their equaliser, this time turning a harmless Lilepo header into his own net to give Chiefs an equaliser a minute after Usuthu had taken the lead.
Chiefs pushed for a winner, but their rushed efforts bore no fruit. Instead, the misses only had Nabi agonising on their bench.
Based on this poor start to the second round it will take a lot of effort for Chiefs to do better than they did last season, where they endured their worst-ever finish of 10th.
Amakhosi, who remain in the fifth spot with 22 points after 16 matches, are away to Stellenbosch FC in Cape Town on Friday. AmaZulu, in seventh place with 20 points after 16 games, host Marumo Gallants in Durban on Friday.
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