Kaizer Chiefs went down 2-1 to Lamontville Golden Arrows at a cold, wet, and blustery Mpumalanga Stadium in Hammarsdale on Saturday to remain in eighth place on the DStv Premiership log.
A goal in each half by Knox Mutizwa gave Abafana Bes’thende all three points, with S’fiso Hlanti netting for Amakhosi in the opening stanza. Interim coach, Cavin Johnson made five changes to the lineup from the previous outing, bringing in Mduduzi Shabalala, Edson Castillo, Christian Saile, S’fiso Hlanti, and Brandon Petersen.
The inclement weather made for tough going on the pitch as the players had to negotiate the puddles of water pouring down, and sometimes stopping passes along the ground. It proved costly in the 20th minute when a back pass by TT Ditlhokwe was miscontrolled by Petersen, allowing Knox Mutizwa to steal in and tuck the ball into an unguarded net.
Amakhosi immediately bounced back, exerting pressure on the Arrows midfield and defence, and it paid dividends only four minutes later when from a free kick won by Saile, Castillo’s pin-point cross was met at the far post by Hlanti, who nodded firmly past Isima Watenga for a well-deserved equaliser.
Chiefs looked to take the lead and came close a couple of times, first when Shabalala made excellent ground down the right flank and whipped in a dangerous ball that Brandon Theron just managed to clear, and then Hanti fired wide during a goalmouth scramble a few minutes before the break. However, the teams went into halftime level at 1-1.
The Glamour Boys came out positively in the second half but were caught on the break in the 54th minute, as Nududo Sibayi found space on the left. He cut inside Njabulo Ngcobo to set up Mutizwa for his second of the game, and what proved to be the winner. A minute later, Petersen pulled off a world-class save to deny Themba Mantshyane, who got his head to a Sibiya cross.
With the conditions making passing football extremely difficult and risky, Amakhosi attempted to restore parity from range, with Yusuf Maart, Castillo, and Saile all trying their luck from distance without success. Another Saile shot, four minutes from full time saw Watenga spill the ball but Mantshiyane just beat Maart to the rebound and cleared the danger. Castillo went close moments later as Watenga was called on again to come off his line, but the Venezuelan couldn’t guide his effort on target.