Kaizer Chiefs restated their title ambitions by winning their fourth match in succession to move level on points with Golden Arrows at the top of the Absa Premeirship log standings.
Goals from Lorenzo Gordinho and George Lebese handed Amakhosi a 2-0 victory at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban to move to the top of the table on goal difference, ahead of second place Golden Arrows, who had earlier won 1-0 at home to Chippa United in KwaMashu.
It was also the fourth time in a row that Amakhosi have managed a clean sheet, scoring seven goals in the process.
Chiefs were first to get out of their blocks as they bossed possession with George Maluleka, George Lebese and Hendrick Ekstein pulling the strings in midfield.
Ajax, however, had the first real chance of the match as early as the third minute when Daniel Cardoso failed to deal with a long ball into the box. The ball fell onto the path of Nathan Paulse but the Ajax striker was put off by a challenge from an advancing Itumeleng Khune.
Chiefs continued to enjoy the lion’s share of possession in the first half as they pushed the ball forward with plenty of purpose but failed to create any clear cut goal scoring opportunities.
Steve Komphela, who has named seven different starting line ups in as many matches in all competitions, had made two changes to his line-up with Daniel Cardoso and Kgotso Moleko coming in for Eric Mathoho and Ramahlwe Mphahelele respectively.
The first real chance for Chiefs came five minutes to the half time break when William Twala delivered a perfect cross from the right for Sibusiso Khumalo but the left back directed his header across face of goal and inches wide off target under immense pressure from Rivaldo Coetsee.
The Urban Warriors, who struggled through the match to find their lone target man upfront, Paulse, could have opened the scoring on the stroke of half time had it not been for the tenacity of Katsande, whose touch was enough to take the ball away from the path of Lebohang Mokoena, who was ready to pull the trigger on the volley at the far post.
Chiefs should have opened the scoring immediately after the restart. Ekstein was gifted the ball by Erick Chipeta on the edge of the Ajax ball but the creative midfielder took long to pull the trigger as his shot, with only keeper to beat, was blocked away for a corner kick.
But they found the target from the resultant corner as Gordinho headed home at the far post to connect with a well worked corner between Lebese and Maluleka, the latter delivering a pin point cross for Gordinho’s third of the season.
Ajax thought they had equalised a minute later when Paulse tapped the ball into the back of the net from a pin point cross but referee whistled for off side, although TV replays showed the tall striker was marginally played on side by Gordinho.
With the match approaching full time and Ajax looking to snatch a late equaliser, Lebese made the results safe in added time when he broke through the Ajax defence and cleverly slotted the ball past keeper Petersen to make it 2-0.
The victory will be sweet for coach Komphela, who had failed to beat Ajax across three matches last season, drawing both home and away in the league while losing the MTN8 Final.
Ajax slumped to their third defeat in five matches and they now find themselves mired in the early season quagmire on two points from six matches.
Chiefs and Ajax have met in 34 league matches since 1999/2000, with Amakhosi recording 14 wins compared to nine for the Urban Warriors, while 11 matches have been drawn.
- TMG Digital
Chiefs make a statement with fourth win in a row
Image: Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images
Kaizer Chiefs restated their title ambitions by winning their fourth match in succession to move level on points with Golden Arrows at the top of the Absa Premeirship log standings.
Goals from Lorenzo Gordinho and George Lebese handed Amakhosi a 2-0 victory at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban to move to the top of the table on goal difference, ahead of second place Golden Arrows, who had earlier won 1-0 at home to Chippa United in KwaMashu.
It was also the fourth time in a row that Amakhosi have managed a clean sheet, scoring seven goals in the process.
Chiefs were first to get out of their blocks as they bossed possession with George Maluleka, George Lebese and Hendrick Ekstein pulling the strings in midfield.
Ajax, however, had the first real chance of the match as early as the third minute when Daniel Cardoso failed to deal with a long ball into the box. The ball fell onto the path of Nathan Paulse but the Ajax striker was put off by a challenge from an advancing Itumeleng Khune.
Chiefs continued to enjoy the lion’s share of possession in the first half as they pushed the ball forward with plenty of purpose but failed to create any clear cut goal scoring opportunities.
Steve Komphela, who has named seven different starting line ups in as many matches in all competitions, had made two changes to his line-up with Daniel Cardoso and Kgotso Moleko coming in for Eric Mathoho and Ramahlwe Mphahelele respectively.
The first real chance for Chiefs came five minutes to the half time break when William Twala delivered a perfect cross from the right for Sibusiso Khumalo but the left back directed his header across face of goal and inches wide off target under immense pressure from Rivaldo Coetsee.
The Urban Warriors, who struggled through the match to find their lone target man upfront, Paulse, could have opened the scoring on the stroke of half time had it not been for the tenacity of Katsande, whose touch was enough to take the ball away from the path of Lebohang Mokoena, who was ready to pull the trigger on the volley at the far post.
Chiefs should have opened the scoring immediately after the restart. Ekstein was gifted the ball by Erick Chipeta on the edge of the Ajax ball but the creative midfielder took long to pull the trigger as his shot, with only keeper to beat, was blocked away for a corner kick.
But they found the target from the resultant corner as Gordinho headed home at the far post to connect with a well worked corner between Lebese and Maluleka, the latter delivering a pin point cross for Gordinho’s third of the season.
Ajax thought they had equalised a minute later when Paulse tapped the ball into the back of the net from a pin point cross but referee whistled for off side, although TV replays showed the tall striker was marginally played on side by Gordinho.
With the match approaching full time and Ajax looking to snatch a late equaliser, Lebese made the results safe in added time when he broke through the Ajax defence and cleverly slotted the ball past keeper Petersen to make it 2-0.
The victory will be sweet for coach Komphela, who had failed to beat Ajax across three matches last season, drawing both home and away in the league while losing the MTN8 Final.
Ajax slumped to their third defeat in five matches and they now find themselves mired in the early season quagmire on two points from six matches.
Chiefs and Ajax have met in 34 league matches since 1999/2000, with Amakhosi recording 14 wins compared to nine for the Urban Warriors, while 11 matches have been drawn.
- TMG Digital
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