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Johannesburg - An early goal from Bernard Parker was enough to send Kaizer Chiefs into the quarterfinals of the Telkom Knockout after Maritzburg United made them work hard for the result at FNB Stadium.
Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter opted to start Reyaad Pieterse in goal and not Brilliant Khuzwayo, as both his back up goalkeepers aim to prove their worth in the absence of injured Itumeleng Khune.
It was Siyabonga Nkosi who got in the first goal attempt of the game when he hit a long range drive in the 4th minute, but the ball was always drifting wide.
But it did not take long for Amakhosi to strike. Kingston Nkhatha got to the byline and held the ball up well, waiting for support. He pulled it back to Siphiwe Tshabalala who did really well to swing in a cross from which Bernard Parker got in between the defenders to chest the ball past Virgil Vries in goal.
Just seven minutes later and Chiefs were asking questions again when Nkhatha again did well to hold the ball up and wait for support. When he found Mandla Masango, the Bafana Bafana attacker drive in a shot, which Vries needed to dive to his right to save.
The visitors enjoyed more ball possession in the final fifteen minutes of the opening half, but they could not make their passes count in the final third of the field.
Ashley Hartog did, however, get two good low shots on target for Maritzburg, but on both occasions Reyaad Pieterse did well to make strong saves to keep the ball out of the goals.
Chiefs came close to another goal a few minutes into the second half when Masango did well to find Parker with a cheeky pass inside the danger area, but Parker’s shot slammed into the side netting.
In the 64th minute, Nkhatha did very well to control a high ball on the run as he entered the danger area, and he did well to fashion a shot on target but it lacked power and Vries made the save.
With seven minutes to go, substitute Terrance Mandaza saw his snap shot on goal fly straight into the hands of Pieterse as the final ten minutes of the game swung from end to end.
Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter opted to start Reyaad Pieterse in goal and not Brilliant Khuzwayo, as both his back up goalkeepers aim to prove their worth in the absence of injured Itumeleng Khune.
It was Siyabonga Nkosi who got in the first goal attempt of the game when he hit a long range drive in the 4th minute, but the ball was always drifting wide.
But it did not take long for Amakhosi to strike. Kingston Nkhatha got to the byline and held the ball up well, waiting for support. He pulled it back to Siphiwe Tshabalala who did really well to swing in a cross from which Bernard Parker got in between the defenders to chest the ball past Virgil Vries in goal.
Just seven minutes later and Chiefs were asking questions again when Nkhatha again did well to hold the ball up and wait for support. When he found Mandla Masango, the Bafana Bafana attacker drive in a shot, which Vries needed to dive to his right to save.
The visitors enjoyed more ball possession in the final fifteen minutes of the opening half, but they could not make their passes count in the final third of the field.
Ashley Hartog did, however, get two good low shots on target for Maritzburg, but on both occasions Reyaad Pieterse did well to make strong saves to keep the ball out of the goals.
Chiefs came close to another goal a few minutes into the second half when Masango did well to find Parker with a cheeky pass inside the danger area, but Parker’s shot slammed into the side netting.
In the 64th minute, Nkhatha did very well to control a high ball on the run as he entered the danger area, and he did well to fashion a shot on target but it lacked power and Vries made the save.
With seven minutes to go, substitute Terrance Mandaza saw his snap shot on goal fly straight into the hands of Pieterse as the final ten minutes of the game swung from end to end.
