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Johannesburg - Glamour team Kaizer Chiefs, the PSL's most successful club in cup competitions, huffed and puffed their way to a controversial 3-2 Nedbank Cup win in extra-time over second division Nathi Lions at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi on Sunday afternoon.
Ultimately, Chiefs only scraped home while avoiding what would have been the upset of the tournament thus far through a penalty from substitute Gerald Sibeko that was needlessly conceded by the gallant underdogs.
Although Chiefs led 2-0 at half-time in this last 32 round fixture and dominated play territorially, some pertinent questions shrouded their all-important opening goal in the 26th minute.
While there was no doubt that enterprising scorer George Lebese was not off-side as he lobbed the ball into the roof of the net, two other Amakhosi players were stationed in clearly off-side positions when the pass to the scorer sailed across the goalmouth -- and it is highly debatable to suggest that two players in reasonably close proximity to the Lions goalkeeper were not interfering in the course of play.
And the doughty, far from grizzly Nathi Lions players, whose under-financed club has been put up for sale, showed commendable resolution and fighting spirit in clawing their way back to 2-2 after Stanton Lewis had increased Amakhosi's lead in the 37th minute.
A headed goal from Temba Makoeba in the 48th minute and a calculated shot into the corner of the net from Lindele Zungu in the 75th minute brought the proceedings alight with the prospect of a possible major upset leaving the capacity crowd on the edge of their seats as Lions gained in self-confidence and belief.
And while Chiefs attempted to regain a semblance of control with a stream of short passes in the final stages of the scheduled 90 minutes, the drizzle and humid conditions appeared to affect the home players less than their more renowned opponents.
And the hearts of the Chiefs' vast majority of supporters on the packed terraces must have been in their mouths until the 120th minute when Lions came desperately close to securing a third-goal equaliser.
