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Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs missed out on the top eight as they went down 1-0 against Chippa United who survived relegation in the Absa Premiership season finale at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The Chilli Boys were dealt a blow in the ninth minute after defender Tebogo Makobela came out the worst in a challenge with Teenage Hadebe and had to be substituted with a suspected broken leg and his place was taken by Frederic Nsabiyumva.
Chiefs should have been 1-0 up two minutes later as Khama Billiat surged his way on the left side of the box and unleashed a strike that came off the inside of the post.
Billiat was in the thick of things for the visitors again in the 24th minute as his volley from outside the box took a deflection in a crowded area in the centre of the box and Hadebe had a simple task of converting the loose ball at the far post but he fluffed his opportunity.
Ernst Middendorp’s charges were looking unsettled at the back especially on the right channel and they were eventually punished from the same side in the 32nd minute after Phetso Maphanga stole possession and made a telling cross to Rhulani Manzini in the centre of the box who broke the deadlock for United with a simple side-footed finish towards the bottom corner.
The hosts were threatening to get the second goal after grabbing the lead, but Amakhosi were saved by Akpeyi who kept them in the game to deny Tercious Malepe with a great stop just before the break.
The visitors were probing for the equaliser in the early stages of the second stanza and Middendorp was desperate to comeback in the game as on the hour-mark he made a tactical change, bringing on attacker Dumisani Zuma in place of defender Hadebe.
Billiat almost levelled matters for Chiefs six minutes later with a brilliant left footed strike that was searching for the top corner but United goalkeeper Mbongeni Mzimela was elastic and tipped his effort over the bar.
The Chilli Boys’ Kurt Lentjies came close to breaking Amakhosi’s hearts with 18 minutes as he latched onto a cross free at the near post but he guided his effort glaringly over the bar.
The pace of the game was slowing down with ten minutes remaining and the hosts were defending in numbers.
Zuma almost got the equaliser for Chiefs with a great strike five minutes before time, but Mzimela made a great stop at the near post and the hosts were throwing themselves forward in numbers to salvage a stalemate but they were not successful as they crashed to defeat.
The Chilli Boys survived relegation with 30 points while Amakhosi failed to make the top eight with 39 points.
