Kaizer Chiefs continued their fine run of form at the tail-end of the year after securing a 1-0 victory over Richards Bay at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Nkosingiphile Ngcobo's 42nd-minute goal was enough to clinch all three points for Cavin Johnson's side on a hot afternoon in Nasrec as they went level on 25 points with Stellenbosch, but remain sixth in the DStv Premiership standings on goals scored.
The Natal Rich Boyz slumped to their fourth defeat in six matches to stay second from bottom, still five points adrift of safety and six clear of Cape Town Spurs.
90 + 5’| #KC 1 : 0 #RB
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) December 23, 2023
Full time score: (Ngcobo 42’) Kaizer Chiefs 1 : 0 Richards Bay FC
DStv Man of the Match: Nkosingiphile Ngcobo#Amakhosi4Life #DStvPrem #Khosified pic.twitter.com/lnqoFIB4Rz
Chiefs were seeking three consecutive league wins for the first time this season, having beaten Moroka Swallows and Polokwane City most recently, while Richards Bay looked to bounce back from a 3-2 defeat to Royal AM last time out.
The hosts went on the attack early on and Jasond Gonzalez was just unable to get on the end of a dangerous ball played into the 18-yard area on three minutes before Edson Castillo skewed a shot high and wide of the right post in the seventh minute.
Kaitano Tembo's side had their first sniff at goal on 19 minutes when Nkosikhona Ndaba played in Austin Dube on the left, but the defender skied his effort well over the crossbar.
Bruce Bvuma was called into action for the first time four minutes later as he had to tip Sanele Barns's long-range strike over the bar and the Glamour Boys goalkeeper also saved a header from Thulani Gumede on 39 minutes.
Christian Saile went close at the other end two minutes later with a shot from inside the box on the right that hit the side-netting, although the home fans were celebrating within seconds as Ngcobo drilled a shot into the bottom right corner of the net from range to open the scoring.
The tempo dropped considerably in the second half as the heat began to take its toll on the players, with Chiefs seeing plenty of the ball but happy to just pass it around in midfield.
Yusuf Maart tried his luck from distance in the 62nd minute after being afforded space to shoot, but he failed to trouble Salim Magoola as the ball drifted wide of the target.
Barns had a late opportunity to equalise when he brought the ball under control on the edge of the area from a flick-on in the 93rd minute, however, his volley just didn't dip enough as it narrowly cleared the crossbar.
Kaizer Chiefs (1) 1 (Ngcobo 42')
Richards Bay 0
Kaizer Chiefs: B. Bvuma, R. Frosler (D. Solomons 81'), G. Msimango (Nj. Ngcobo 67'), E. Dove, S. Hlanti, Y. Maart, E. Castillo, Nk. Ngcobo (S. Zwane 81'), C. Saile (H. Mashiane 89'), E. Gonzalez (A. Du Preez 67'), P. Mmodi.
Richards Bay: S. Magoola, L. Mabuya, S. Mcineka, A. Dube, N. Ndaba, T. Gumede, A. Mabaso, L. Mohomi (L. Mhlongo 46'), S. Ntsundwana (J. Figuareido 69'), Y. Mbuthuma (K. Makateng 69'), S. Barns.