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Chiefs work hard to beat Downs

Pretoria - Kaizer Chiefs made heavy weather of beating a defensive Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 at a jam-packed Super Stadium on Sunday to reach the semi-finals of the Telkom Knockout.

On the run of play Chiefs could easily have embarrassed Downs by a much bigger winning margin.

The only goal was scored by Mandla Masango in the 83rd minute.

It was one way traffic for Chiefs who missed countless chances and could have won 6-0 or more had they take their chances. Downs were a huge disappointment to their fans in the capacity 28 000 crowd by failing to make Chiefs keeper Arthur Bartman make one decent save throughout the game.

At the other end the Brazilians' veteran keeper Brain Baloyi was one of the busiest players on the pitch. To rub salt into Downs wounds they had striker Mabhuti Khenyeza sent off in the dying minutes by referee Buyile Gqubule for a second bookable offence.

Chiefs should have taken the lead after dominating the opening 45 minutes.

Amakhosi wasted a number of goal scoring chances against a hesitant Downs side and when they did manage to find the back of the net in the 42nd minute George Lebese’s header was ruled offside.

Bartman was not called on to make a save in the first half and was a spectator during the first period. No wonder as Downs caretaker coach Trott Moloto opted for a conservative approach using a lone striker in Khenyeza who was ineffective but to be fair received little support from his midfield.

Chiefs had a shout for a penalty denied in the third minute when Elias Pelembe appeared to pull down Knowledge Musona inside his penalty area.

But referee Gqubule waved play on.

Baloyi had a busy first half. He did well to turn Abia Nale’s dangerous shot for a corner in the 11th minute.

Chiefs kept up the pressure. Baloyi stopped Musona from scoring from close range in the 16th minute and 60 seconds later the former Bafana Bafana keeper took no chances by fisting away a goal bound free kick from Mandla Masango.

But the miss of the match went to Lebese in the 28th minute when after rounding Baloyi and with the goal at his mercy he hesitated and allowed Baloyi to recover and clear the danger.

Masondo fired another shot over the crossbar in the 36th minute and then came Lebese’s disallowed goal three minutes from the break.

While Chiefs were on top they failed to capitalise because of their powder-puff attack and weakness at free kicks.

To illustrate Chiefs frustration Lebese let fly from about 35 metres, missing the Downs goal by the proverbial mile close to halftime.

Downs defender Luvhengo Mungomeni came to Baloyi and his team’s rescue in the 52nd minute when he did well to boot Musonda’s shot off his goalline as Amakhosi kept up the pressure.

But another chance was wasted when Musona crashed his shot against the side netting in the 63rd minute when he should have done better. The unmarked Masango somehow failed to connect a great cross from substitute Nkosinathi Nhleko in the 73rd minute as Chiefs kept driving forward.

Then Nhleko blasted over the crossbar three minutes later from close range to the annoyance of coach Vladimir Vermezovic who could not believe the chances his side were creating and wasting.

But Masango finally got it right when he latched onto a Nale through ball and slotted home seven minutes from time much to the relief of the Chiefs fans in the capacity crowd.

But more disaster struck Downs when Khenyez,a who struggled all afternoon against the well-marshalled Chiefs defence, got his marching orders in the 90th minute for a second bookable offence.

Then with the last kick of the game Chiefs midfielder Josta Dladla missed a sitter after being set up by a great pass from Nhleko.

At the end of the day all that mattered was Masango’s winner.

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