Swallows, Chippa in stalemate after disallowed goal

It was a game that promised so much but delivered little as Moroka Swallows and Chippa United played to a dull goalless draw at Dobsonville Stadium, Soweto, on Wednesday.

Both teams headed into the match on the back of two successive victories and were looking to continue with their winning run of form. But it was not to be, as they could only play to a goalless draw with chances few and far between. 

Swallows nearly found the opener midway through the first half  but Kagiso Malinga arrived late and  failed to connect a Tshegofatso Mabasa cross with an empty net at his mercy.

As the match progressed, Swallows took control of the game, with Andile Jali and Lantshene Phalane winning most of the duels in the middle of the park against Goodman Mosele and Ayabulela Konqobe.

The hosts continued to put pressure on Chippa however, they could not create enough scoring opportunities as Chippa remained solid in defence.

Swallows goalie Daniel Akpeyi had a quiet first half as Chippa offered little going forward, while Stanley Nwabali was the busier of the two goalminders.

Chippa were better in the second half as they were able to find spaces behind the Swallows defence and had a goal disallowed 10 minutes into the second half. Roscoe Pietersen thought he had given his side the lead when he headed home but was judged to have been offside by assistant Romeo Matibidi, even though the last touch before his header came from a Swallows player.

Chippa continued to dominate and came close again to finding the opener after the hour-mark, but Akpeyi was at his best to make a double save to deny Ronaldo Maarman first and Thabiso Lebitso from the rebound.

The Chilli Boys suffered a blow when Nwabali was substituted by Loydt Kazapula late in the second half after he suffered a hip injury when he collided with Mabasa.