SuperSport United were forced to dig deep to rescue a point in their 1-1 draw with Chippa United in a DStv Premiership match at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday evening.
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Despite the draw, Matsatsantsa climbed up to the seventh spot on the league standings - level on points with eighth-placed Lamontville Golden Arrows, while the Chilli Boys remained 13th on the log - four points above the relegation zone.
Matsatsantsa pressed the Chilli Boys up high looking to force the visitors into making mistakes in their own-half and the hosts were unlucky not to score when Jamie Webber's volleyed effort hit the crossbar with goalkeeper Lloyd Kazapua well-beaten.
Chippa grew into the match gradually and they broke the deadlock through Azola Matrose. The youngster received a pass from Andile Mbenyane before beating goalkeeper Ronwen Williams at the near-post with a low shot to make it 1-0 to Chippa in the 40th minute.
Chippa and SuperSport United share the points as it ends 1-1 in their #DStvPrem clash. pic.twitter.com/rV4aidb7hb
— SuperSport ?? (@SuperSportTV) April 5, 2022
The hosts responded by surging forward with Selaelo Rasebotja, who netted against Arrows over the weekend, keen to put his name on the scoresheet. The SuperSport academy product's long-range shot was well saved by Kazapua.
The score was 1-0 to Chippa during the half-break following a first-half which saw SuperSport control the game without converting possession into goals.
Rasebotja looked the likeliest player to score for SuperSport after the restart with Matsatsantsa searching for the equalising goal. The 20-year-old forced Namibia international Kazapua to tip a dangerous crossing that was heading into the top corner over the crossbar.
The Chilli Boys were happy to sit back and defend their slender lead in the second half and coach Kaitano Tembo decided to introduce the attack-minded duo of Thapelo Maseko and Sibusiso Maziko with 20 minutes left on the clock.
SuperSport piled pressure on Chippa in the latter stages of the game and the hosts were awarded a penalty after Jesse Donn was fouled in the visitors' box.
Ghampani Lungu then beat Kazapua from the spot-kick to level matters in the 89th minute and the match ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
SuperSport (0) 1 (Lungu 89')
Chippa (1) 1 (Matrose 40')
SuperSport: Williams, Nhlapo, Fleurs, Johannes, Bhasera, Soumahoro (Donn 46'), Webber (Mbatha 46'), Waiswa (Maseko 70'), Rasebotja, Ngoma (Maziko 70'), Lungu.
Chippa: Kazapua, Hanamub, Pietersen, Pfumbidzai, Matrose (Maloisane 82'), Mkhize, Makobela (Lebitso 82'), Zulu, Mbenyane (Mdlinzo 63'), September