Kaizer Jr helps Chiefs beat Wits

BidVest Wits 0 Kaizer Chiefs (7. Motaung 7 min)
BidVest Stadium, Johannesburg
Premier Soccer League
Kick Off: 15h45
17th February 2007
Temperature: 26 °C

Kaizer Motuang Junior scored his first goal in a month and his eight league goal of the season as Chiefs defeated BidVest Wits in a PSL game played at the BidVest Stadium on Sunday afternoon. In truth the score line is not reflective of the game as Chiefs dominated play and possession and had Wits chasing shadows for most of the game, in the end Kaizer Junior seventh minute strike was enough to hand Chiefs the points.

Wits' idea of playing the game at the compact Bidvest Stadium was to take advantage of the fact that they are used to playing on the smaller field, this plan seemed to have backfired in the first-half as the smaller field seemed to have suited The Amakhosi better. As they ran Wits ragged with some sublime touching passing with Gert Schalkwyk being the puppet master as he strung the midfield together with a number of deft touches. Even though Chiefs controlled most of the play in the opening forty five minutes, Wits did have the first real scoring chance.

When after five minutes Marwan Bantam weaved his way into the Chiefs penalty area an unleashed a pile driver goal wards only to find Fabian McCarthy hot on his heals, as the Chiefs defender slid in to block the shot. Two minutes later and Schalkwyk began to weave his magic after receiving a short pass from Siyabonga Nkosi he exposed the Wits defense, with a pass on their blind side which found Arthur Zwane. Who ran a few yards with the ball and passed the ball back to Schalkwyk who had moved into the Wits 18 yard area, Schalkwyk miscued his first time shot and the ball rolled to Kaizer Junior who needed no second invitation in giving Chiefs the lead.

After twenty seven minutes Chiefs could have doubled their advantage after Kaizer Junior won an aerial dual and flicked the ball towards Schalkwyk, Wits tormentor in Chiefs proceeded to again catch the Wits defense flat footed. As he layed on a pass to Gerald Sibeko who came screeching down the left wing, Sibeko wasted no time upon collecting the ball as he shot goal wards immediately, only to watch on as Wits goalkeeper Josephs was at full stretch to clear away the ball.

On the half hour mark Noah Chivutha sent a corner from the right in towards goal, Rowen Fernandez came out and punched the ball clear; the rebound fell once again to Chivutha who sent in a looping cross to the far post. The ball evaded Fernandez and the Chiefs defense as it flew towards Phil Evans lurking at the back post, had Evans made the slightest of contact with the ball and Wits would have found themselves level. Fortunately enough for Chiefs Evans to could not get to the ball and it sailed out with out giving Chiefs any problems.

Six minutes before the interval Kaizer Motaung Junior could have completed his brace, after some neat short passing between Siyabonga Nkosi and Gert Schalkwyk saw the latter deftly chip the Wits defense. With Kaizer Junior running onto the ball after easily controlling the ball, the Amakhosi striker wasted the chance as he blasted the ball high over Joseph’s goal post. The first half ended with Chiefs leading the students by a goal to nil.

Nine minutes into the second and Chiefs once again bombarded the Wits goal, as Arthur Zwane galloping down the right, played a ball to the head of Kaizer Junior whose attempt at goal was on target again Josephs was called into action and saved the ball on the line.

In the sixty fifth minute former Orlando Pirates striker Phumodzo Manenzhe on as a second half substitute made his way into the Chiefs 18 yard area, and a combination of Rowen Fernandez and Jimmy Tau could not stop his charge. It was left to Fabian McCarthy to push him wide and forced him into taking his shot which went into the side netting.

Chiefs were relentless in their pursuit of goals and had Wits on the back foot for lengthy periods in the second half, and must have thought that they increased their lead with a quarter of an hour to go. Off a Chiefs corner from the right the ball fell invitingly for Patrick Mayo who on hit the ball on the volley, again Josephs came out trumps and elbowed the ball to safety. The final bit of action in the game came in the 88th minute when a ferocious curling Marwan Bantam free kick managed to sail over the Chiefs wall, but Amakhosi keeper Rowen Fernandez made a superb stop to ensure he kept his ninth clean sheet of the season.

Victory for Chiefs over Wits was the kind of tonic Ernst Middendorp was looking for to get his team charged up ahead of their first ABSA Cup Game against Golden Arrows in a week’s time. The Chiefs coaches decision to take his team on a midweek outing to watch the Proteas defeat Pakistan at the Wanderers seemed to have motivated his team, as the put on one of their best performances of the season.

Line Up’s:

BidVest Wits: 1. M. Josephs, 15. N. Chivutha, 21. K. Denge (28. Manenzhe 55 min), 2. P. Evans, 5. R. Gariseb, 25. A. Hendricks, 32. M. Bantam, 23. A. Lobo, 11. Z. Ndhlovu (7. Senokoane 46 min), 19. M. De Jesus, 27. E. Mtsweni (8. Manuel 78 min)

Substitutes: 30. W. Robinson, 9. B. Moleyane, 28. P. Manenzhe, 24. E. Phillips, 8. K. Manuel, 7. B. Senokoane, 13. E. Tinkler

Coach: Boebie Solomons

Kaizer Chiefs: 1. R. Fernandez, 6. F. McCarthy, 2. J. Tau, 21. P. Mayo, 4. C. Nzama, 27. G. Sibeko, 18. A. Zwane (33. Mototo 90+), 25. G. Schalkwyk, 10. S. Nkosi (12. Mooki 75 min), 7. K. Motaung Junior, 28. D. Spencer

Substitutes: 32. I. Khune, 31. D. Radebe, 9. S. Djiehoua, 12. T. Mooki, 24. D. Mathebula, 33. D. Mototo, 11. E. Ngobese

Officials:

Referee: Matthew Dyer
Assistant 1: Toko Malebo
Assistant 2: Reginald Motloung
4th Official: Johnny Du Toit
Match Commissioner: Robert Pillay