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Johannesburg - Kaizer Chiefs secured their place in the next round of the Nedbank Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Royal Eagles at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.
While Amakhosi were frustrated for most of the game, it was Lebogang Manyama who popped up in the 70th minute to score the winner and send his team into the next round.
The Royal Eagles, who campaign in the first division, came with a clear tactic to get as many players behind the ball and they kept the Soweto giants at bay for the entire first half.
While clearly having most of the ball possession, Chiefs did not create any clear-cut opportunities with George Maluleke coming closest to breaking the deadlock in the 19th minute.
The visitors saw very little of the ball in the opening stanza - their only chance was on the counter-attack and they almost took advantage of some slack Chiefs defending as Zanoxolo Mduli shot over just before the break.
Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp introduced Khama Billiat from the bench soon after the interval and the Zimbabwean, who was making his return from injury, almost made an immediate impact but volleyed an effort just wide on the hour-mark.
But the hosts eventually found the goal that mattered when Manyama finished off a neat passing movement to lob the ball over Eagles goalkeeper Edward Maova with 20 minutes of the contest remaining.
The Glamour Boys comfortably saw out the rest of the game to book their ticket into the next round of the Nedbank Cup.
- TeamTalk Media
Channel 202
