Tau goal gives Chiefs vital win

Johannesburg - Captain and defender Jimmy Tau scored a rare goal to give Kaizer Chiefs a 1-0 victory over Moroka Swallows on Wednesday and with it second place in a thrilling South African Premiership title race.

Slick, quick passing carved an opening on 69 minutes at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria and when a low cross rebounded off a Swallows defender, Tau was perfectly placed to stab the ball over the line.

It was a precious triumph for Chiefs, who were eight points behind leaders and arch rivals Orlando Pirates last Sunday morning, but wins against Platinum Stars and Swallows have reduced the gap to just two points.

Pirates have 44 points after 20 rounds of the richest national football championship in Africa, Chiefs 42, Ajax Cape Town 40 and long-time pace-setters Mamelodi Sundowns 38 in the chase for a 1.3-million-dollar first prize.

Swallows played much better than a team second-last in the table and it took a brilliant reflex save from South Africa goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune to deny striker Siyabonga Nomvete just before Tau scored.

Combative midfielder Macbeth Sibaya debuted for the 'Birds' after seven years with Russian club Rubin Kazan and played his part in a team effort that deserved some reward.

Resurgent Wits University climbed five places to seventh with a 3-1 home victory over sliding Santos at BIDVest Stadium on the fringe of downtown Johannesburg.

After a winless run spanning three months, the 'Clever Boys' have triumphed four times on the trot, including a 4-0 walloping of Reunion visitors Sainte Marienne in an African Confederation Cup qualifier four days ago.

Cape Town-based Santos are heading in the opposite direction with a defence that had conceded 10 goals in 16 previous league outings leaking 13 in their last four matches.

The Cape club that operates on a shoe-string budget suffered a third loss in four matches and any hopes of challenging for the title have evaporated as they are now 15 points behind Pirates.

Mzwanele Mahashe headed Wits in front on 11 minutes, Bhongolwethu Jayiya tapped in a rebound mid-way through the second half and Stanton Fredericks converted a penalty in the closing stages.

Erwin Isaacs claimed his sixth league goal of the season for Santos with one minute left of a mid-afternoon match that offered little excitement for the small crowd.