Chiefs off to winning start in Betway Premiership as youngsters shine in Free State

Kaizer Chiefs youngsters Mfundo Vilakazi, 18, and Mduduzi Shabalala, 20, gave new coach Nasreddine Nabi victory in his first official match as Chiefs came from behind to beat Marumo Gallants 2-1 in their opening Betway Premiership match at a packed Free State Stadium on Saturday.

Such was the hunger of Chiefs fans to see their new-look beloved club under the heralded Tunisian mentor Nabi that they sold out this venue and even forced a 15th-minute delay to the scheduled kick-off.

This for a club that has had its worst finish (10th on the log) last season amid the nine seasons in which there has been an unprecedented drought of trophies, says a lot about their loyalty and love.

Shabalala and Vilakazi responded to that love with well-taken goals in each half in a match that Chiefs deserved to win on the balance of possession of the ball and chances they created.

Gallants were the home team, but such was the support Chiefs had that you would have easily mistaken Dan Malesela's team for the away side.

Gallants have relocated to the Free State after purchasing Moroka Swallows status to move back to top flight after failing to bounce back following their relegation in the 2022-2023 campaign.

Nabi showed his hand from the word go, starting with as many as five of the new players whose arrival at Chiefs coincided with his.

In goals, Rwandan gloveman Fiacre Ntwari got the jersey ahead of Bruce Bvuma. The central defence pairing of Rushwin Dortley and Angolan Inacio Miguel were joined by new left back Bradley Cross in defence, with Reeve Frosler at right back the only old player who kept his position..

Former Mamelodi Sundowns playmaker Gaston Sirino also got his debut and immediately linked well with Shabalala and Ranga Chivaviro in the lively first 45 minutes of this match.

Sirino was the most impactful of the Chiefs attacking players, with 34 touches, passing well if not taking a shot himself in a first stanza in which the Uruguayan endeared himself to the Chiefs faithful.

Despite Chiefs starting better and forcing Washington Arubi to make a couple of good saves before limping off injured, it was Gallants who opened the scoring in the 8th minute when the Chiefs defence failed to clear.

Chiefs allowed Christopher Sithole to pounce and beat Ntwari with a low shot which deflected off Miguel and went in following a melee which ensued from a rare and quickly taken set piece.

While Chivaviro missed two good early chances to punish his former club, Shabalala made no mistake when Gallants made a harsh clearance that resulted in him being put through.

The Chiefs attacker still had a lot to do but made things look easy by just lobbing the ball over the advancing Arubi to cancel Gallants' goal in the 17th minute.

The goal signalled the end of Arubi in the game as he limped off with a knee injury having made a couple of stupendous saves, including Cross's point-black header, that kept Malesela's team in the game.

While there were a few moments of brilliance by a few Chiefs players, what was clear is that there's still a lot that Nabi has to do to make them play like a well-oiled machine. 

While Chiefs looked a little stable at the back where they gave a few chances to Gallants, it is the missed chances that Nabi will be most worried about. But that they created a load of them in open play in both halves and earned some set pieces in good areas, will be encouraging.

Chivaviro in particular should have put Chiefs ahead midway through the second half after being set free by Sirino, but his shot was well blocked by Akpeyi and fell on Shabalala who too shot wide.

Sirino himself had a great chance to bend in his free-kick with 15 minutes to go after Gallants were reduced to 10-man with former Chiefs player Joseph Malongoane shown a red card for a foul on substitute Wandile Duba.

It was when Gallants were still trying to adjust to playing with 10-man that Vilakazi scored his first official goal in a competitive match for Chiefs. Duba made a good cross from the left and Yusuf Maart left the ball to run through to the youngster who beat Akpeyi with a swift low shot taken just outside the area.

It was a deserved victory for the Chiefs fans who packed the stadium to welcome their coach, but they will agree that a lot still needs to be improved to be certain they've turned the corner.