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City down Chiefs for only win of the weekend

olympic games05 January 2025 17:45| © Backpage TXT
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The only Betway Premiership match of the weekend to produce a winner saw Cape Town City down Kaizer Chiefs at the DHL Cape Town Stadium on Sunday evening.

The top-flight league’s four previous matches on Saturday and Sunday all ended in stalemates, but the Citizens trumped the Amakhosi 1-0 thanks to a strike early in the second half from Darwin Gonzalez.

The result saw Cape Town City – in their first match under returning ‘new’ coach Muhsin Ertugral – move up to 11th place on the log, and keep up their excellent recent record against Chiefs: the Citizens are now unbeaten in their last eight league matches (W6 D2) against the Soweto side.

As for the Amakhosi, this fourth league defeat of the season leaves them in seventh spot (just one point ahead of City) and they continue to search in vain for consistency.

City enjoyed greater control and attacking rhythm through the first half, though they struggled to create genuine chances with which to test Chiefs goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma.

The visitors, meanwhile, looked dangerous on the break, but too often they made the wrong decisions in the final third and left the likes of Ashley du Preez and Mduduzi Shabalala isolated and frustrated.

Goalless at the break, and with the Citizens having enjoyed most of the possession through the first half, there was irony in them breaking the deadlock on 51 minutes via a counter attack, as they sprung away from a Chiefs corner and Darwin Gonzalez was able to run from inside his own half before stabbing a low shot past Bvuma for 1-0.

Chiefs responded by sending on Ranga Chivaviro, and then a triple change with 20 minutes to play which saw Bradley Cross, Mfundo Vilakazi and Samkelo Zwane introduced off the bench.

Vilakazi had an immediate threat of an equaliser, shooting on target directly from a free kick, but veteran City goalkeeper Darren Keet made a fine save to keep his side in the ascendancy.

That was as close as Chiefs came to an equaliser, with the Citizens able to hold out through the rest of the game and claim their fourth league win of the season.

The teams will return to Premiership action in midweek, with City hosting Orlando Pirates and Chiefs at home to Stellenbosch FC – both on Wednesday 8 January.

Cape Town City (0) 1 (Gonzalez 51’)

Kaizer Chiefs 0

City: Keet, Mkhize, Gordinho, Fasika, Nyama, Petrus, Nodada (Mokotjo 67’), Tijueza, Rhodes (Amato 66’), Gonzalez (April 85’), Soukouna (Ah Shene 73’)

Chiefs: Bvuma, Frosler (Blom 75’), Miguel, Dortley, Ditlhokwe (Cross 70’), Mthethwa, Maart (Zwane 70’), Saile (Chivaviro 55’), Shabalala, Duba (Vilakazi 70’), Du Preez

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