Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs were shocked by Baroka FC in a PSL fixture at FNB Stadium with their less fancied rivals moving to the top of the table with their win.
Baroka travelled to the FNB Stadium to face the mighty Chiefs who were aiming to draw level on points with their high-flying opponents.
After seven games in, it appears to be a start of a Leicester-like change in fortunes for the ambitious side from Polokwane, who narrowly avoided relegation last season.
Having come into the fixture with three wins and three draws in their opening six league encounter, Chiefs were looking to bring Bakgaga back down to earth.
And George Maluleka's early goal looked to be the start of one-way traffic for the hosts when the former Ajax Cape Town man unleashed an unstoppable effort beyond goalkeeper Virgil Vries from outside the area - after collecting a fizzing pass from Bhongolethu Jayiya.
However, the unpredictable visitors fought back with some enterprising football, which brought reward in the 22nd minute through none other than former Amakhosi forward Lewis Macha.
Deemed a failure after failing to make his mark at Naturena, the Zambian forward lost his marker Eric Mathoho to smash home a header beyond goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and after conceding, matters turned sour for manager Steve Komphela.
First-choice forward Gustavo Paez went down with an injury just before the break and needed to be replaced by veteran Bernard Parker, and the lack of dynamism in the advanced forward role was clear to see thereafter - with Parker more suited to a deep-lying forward role.
The second-half proved to be quite similar to the end of the first, with both teams playing direct rigid football in a bid to force mistakes from the defences.
But Kgokolo Thobejane's men went on to take the initiative against the run of play to shock the home support into complete silence.
After testing Khune after a quick counter-attack, which led to Sipho Moeti firing a powerful left-footed volley inches wide, Baroka went on to take the lead through South Africa international Gift Motupa.
The fleet-footed playmaker engineered some space with great technical prowess inside the area before smashing a powerful drive beyond Bafana Bafana's first choice goalkeeper.
Chiefs went onto to dominate possession as Bakgaga sat back to soak up the pressure and contain the Glamour Boys in the final half hour - but Mathoho's 86th-minute close-range header was the closest the home side went to finding a much-needed equaliser.
The win puts the unfancied side from Polokwane into first place ahead of the international break while Komphela's men drop to fifth.
