Hunt rues lost chance as Chiefs draw at Baroka

Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt was left disappointed as his side missed a chance to move to the top eight after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Baroka at Peter Mokaba Stadium yesterday.

In a match Chiefs should have won, Hunt admitted that they should have killed off the game way before Baroka equalised.

Amakhosi looked to have done enough to secure the victory when Lebogang Manyama scored in the second half but conceded late in the match through Evidence Makgopa to leave Hunt frustrated with the result.

“We deserved to win the game. I thought we were the better team, but if you get the penalty in the first half, it helps you,” Hunt told the club's media department after the match.

Vusi Sibiya appeared to have brought  Samir Nurković down inside the box, but referee Velaphi Sicelo waved play on, while television replays suggested he should have awarded the penalty.

“We've not been getting penalties three games in a row now when it is blatant. So it is disappointing as it gives you a bit of momentum, and we should have killed it off.

“We had two or three great opportunities in the end. But over the 90 minutes, I thought we were the better side. But football doesn't always work like that.”

Hunt was also disappointed with how they conceded the equaliser and felt they should have defended better.

Makgopa latched on to a cross inside the box and fired a low strike past Itumeleng Khune, who is yet to keep a clean sheet this season in eight matches.

“We should have stopped the cross, then it takes a deflection and it goes in. It is disappointing, but it is football.”

Amakhosi remained ninth on the log table with 25 points from  21 matches, while Baroka moved to 11th with 24 points from 22 games.

Chiefs' next match is against Cape Town City on Wednesday at FNB Stadium, and Hunt said he would give the players some days off before they start preparing for the game.

“A point moving forward is another game unbeaten. The players have done well. We will now take a couple of games off to have a breather and go from there.” 

Baroka coach Matsemela Thoka was pleased with the result.

“We came back strong in the second half, it's just that we conceded a very soft goal,” Thoka said.

“We didn't defend well because we didn't go with the runner but overall the boys showed character and managed to equalise. We take a point and move forward.”