By Ester Nontsikelelo Baatjies (Free State World)
It was an electrifying buzz in Bloemfontein as Marumo Gallants and Kaizer Chiefs locked horns at the Dr Petrus Rantlai Molemela Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Outstanding performance from Kaizer Chiefs in the second half saw them come out with three points from this encounter after bagging a 1–0 win, a perfect twist to the Betway Premiership title race.
The match was attended by the Free State MEC for Health, Monyatso Viceroy Mahlatsi, together with the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture in the Free State, Zanele Sifuba, in an effort to support the Bloemfontein-based team, Marumo Gallants.
“Ke ya rona e!” were the chants from the Kaizer Chiefs side of the stands, referring to the Premiership title.
Amakhosi’s excitement is justifiable after the recent 1–0 win against Zesco United in Ndola in the CAF Confederation Cup. When asked about his ambition to win the title, co-coach Cedric Kaze said that they take it one game at a time.
“It’s a big improvement, but we feel there’s still room for more improvement. We try to make the best of each game,” he said.
Heading into this encounter, Amakhosi had completed a hat-trick of wins since the resumption of the Betway Premiership. Glody Lilepo’s 66th-minute thunderbolt from out of nowhere handed Chiefs the narrow victory, allowing them to move past Orlando Pirates into second place on the table.
Chiefs struggled to get the ball going on the tricky pitch in the opening stages of the match.
In the 7th minute, Asanele Valebayi saw the ball dribble like a rugby ball in front of him but maintained his composure, attempting a long-range shot that crossed over the bar. Gallants had a better time on the pitch given the conditions, though they did not trouble Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Peterson much. The shot-stopper comfortably dealt with at least two direct attempts from the home side.
Coach Alexandre Lafitte emphasized the importance of collective effort, saying: “It’s important to be perfect collectively, but at the moment it’s important to score so you win.”
Chiefs were nearly handed a goal by Gallants in the 30th minute, with the crowd roaring loudly in support of the Bloemfontein outfit. Though they struggled with the conditions of the pitch, Chiefs came out more confident in the second half.
Sixty-seven minutes into the match, Goodly Lilepo found the back of the net by firing a cross-shot that flew past Arubi.
Coming off the bench, Jason Clifford came close for Bahlabane ba Ntwa as the home side looked to repeat what happened in September, when he scored a last-minute equaliser against Chiefs. In the 79th minute, he attempted to sneak through the tight Chiefs’ defence but was denied by the alert Brandon Peterson.
Kaizer Chiefs will now shift their focus to their CAF Confederation Cup fixture against Zesco United this Sunday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00.
Marumo Gallants, meanwhile, will continue their Betway Premiership campaign when they lock horns with AmaZulu on Saturday at 15:30, marking their second home game since the league resumed.
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