Nkosingiphile Ngcobo's scintillating individual display inspired a depleted Kaizer Chiefs outfit to a 2-0 win over Sekhukhune United at FNB Stadium yesterday.
Ngcobo netted Chiefs’ first goal in the first half, before assisting Phathutshedzo Nange to make it 2-0 very late in the second half. Amid their camp's Covid-19 outbreak, Chiefs soldiered on without some of their instrumental players like Keagan Dolly and Khama Billiat among others.
Head coach Stuart Baxter was also not available with his assistant Arthur Zwane taking charge.
Three Diski Challenges starlets Mduduzi Shabalala, Rahim Milazi and Aiden McCarthy made the squad in the absence of the usual suspects. Amakhosi headed into this clash on the back of failing to honour two games against Cape Town City and Golden Arrows, citing a high number of positive Covid-19 cases at their village in Naturena.
Chiefs played a blinder of a first half with Bernard Parker, Njabulo Blom and Ngcobo the ones who made things happen. Blom, who usually plays at right-back, did a sterling job as a holding midfielder where he got the better of ex-teammate Willard Katsande. Katsande ended-up resorting to fouling the young man.
The Chiefs man always got to the ball first ahead of Sekhukhune players. Blom, 21, also played a few inviting passes, teeing up his teammates. One of Blom's brilliant passes yielded real outcome when he released a ball from nowhere to set-up Ngcobo to score a splendid curled effort to break the deadlock in the 25th minute.
Apart from when Thabo Rakhale tested Daniel Akpeyi with a snap shot just outside the box midway trough the first half, the visitors hardly threatened Chiefs. Happy Mashiane was Chiefs’ weakest link, struggling to combine with fellow attackers in most cases.
The second half showed beyond doubt it wasn’t Sekhukhune’s day. Babina Noko brought in Thabang Sibanyoni and Pogiso Mahlangu for Prince Nxumalo and Rakhale respectively early in the second half. However, it wasn’t meant to be as they never effected change. Even though they weren’t as good as they were in the first half, Chiefs were still better even in the last stanza, making more entries into the box.
Elsewhere yesterday, Royal AM and Golden Arrows played to a 0-0 draw, while Maritzburg United and Stellenbosch also drew 0-0.
Superb Ngcobo drives Kaizer Chiefs to victory
Covid-ridden Amakhosi excel without some key stars
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Nkosingiphile Ngcobo's scintillating individual display inspired a depleted Kaizer Chiefs outfit to a 2-0 win over Sekhukhune United at FNB Stadium yesterday.
Ngcobo netted Chiefs’ first goal in the first half, before assisting Phathutshedzo Nange to make it 2-0 very late in the second half. Amid their camp's Covid-19 outbreak, Chiefs soldiered on without some of their instrumental players like Keagan Dolly and Khama Billiat among others.
Head coach Stuart Baxter was also not available with his assistant Arthur Zwane taking charge.
Three Diski Challenges starlets Mduduzi Shabalala, Rahim Milazi and Aiden McCarthy made the squad in the absence of the usual suspects. Amakhosi headed into this clash on the back of failing to honour two games against Cape Town City and Golden Arrows, citing a high number of positive Covid-19 cases at their village in Naturena.
Chiefs played a blinder of a first half with Bernard Parker, Njabulo Blom and Ngcobo the ones who made things happen. Blom, who usually plays at right-back, did a sterling job as a holding midfielder where he got the better of ex-teammate Willard Katsande. Katsande ended-up resorting to fouling the young man.
The Chiefs man always got to the ball first ahead of Sekhukhune players. Blom, 21, also played a few inviting passes, teeing up his teammates. One of Blom's brilliant passes yielded real outcome when he released a ball from nowhere to set-up Ngcobo to score a splendid curled effort to break the deadlock in the 25th minute.
Apart from when Thabo Rakhale tested Daniel Akpeyi with a snap shot just outside the box midway trough the first half, the visitors hardly threatened Chiefs. Happy Mashiane was Chiefs’ weakest link, struggling to combine with fellow attackers in most cases.
The second half showed beyond doubt it wasn’t Sekhukhune’s day. Babina Noko brought in Thabang Sibanyoni and Pogiso Mahlangu for Prince Nxumalo and Rakhale respectively early in the second half. However, it wasn’t meant to be as they never effected change. Even though they weren’t as good as they were in the first half, Chiefs were still better even in the last stanza, making more entries into the box.
Elsewhere yesterday, Royal AM and Golden Arrows played to a 0-0 draw, while Maritzburg United and Stellenbosch also drew 0-0.
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