Sekhukhune United are party-poopers! They are like that naughty, snot-nosed kid that brings a sharpened nail to a jumping castle party. They spoiled Kaizer Chiefs’ 53rd birthday celebrations after beating Amakhosi 1-0 at the FNB Stadium on Saturday night.
They did not care about the festivities that were lined up and how the Amakhosi family, friends and supporters were ready to celebrate.
Sekhukhune had plans of their own and they took home the three points, leaving FNB in a state of silence and mourning.
On Friday, Chiefs supremo Kaizer Motaung took the youthful Chiefs squad for a visit and tour to the original Amakhosi clubhouse in Phefeni Soweto, where it all started for the Glamour Club – but seemingly, that did not inspire the lads to victory and hand the club a cute present in the form of three points.
Instead, they were dejected, exhausted and drained after Sekhukhune’s three-point smash and grab.
The loss has also diminished Chiefs’ chances of challenging Mamelodi Sundowns who are simply cruising and strolling to the league title. Chiefs are now 13 points behind Sundowns with the same number of matches. According to the Chiefs website, Sekhukhune winger Vusi Mncube scored the game’s only goal in the 48th minute on a breakaway against the run of play.
The visitors were fast out of the blocks and felt they should have had a penalty in the second minute when Sammy Seabi went down under a challenge from Samkelo Zwane, but the referee waved the claims away.
The early exchanges were scrappy as both teams tried to come to terms with a surface proving difficult to play on. In the sixth minute, S’fiso Hlanti’s foul on Tlotlo Leepile earned him a booking that rules him out of next week’s match against AmaZulu.
A Chiefs free kick on the edge of the Sekhukhune area after 14 minutes triggered a crazy passage of play. A training ground move saw Keagan Dolly and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo set up Reeve Frosler for a shot at goal. Badra Sangare parried the ball into the path of Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana, who was unable to tap the rebound home after he appeared to lose his balance at the crucial moment.
Sekhukhune sprang into the attack and Itumeleng Khune was called upon to save Chibuike Ohizu’s glancing header. Meanwhile, back at the other end, the referee, Siyabulela Qunta and Chiefs skipper, Keagan Dolly were lying prone on the ground following an accidental collision as they followed the play. Both received treatment before resuming their roles.
Clear chances were few and far between but in the 26th minute, Yusuf Maart lifted the crowd’s already-celebratory mood with a rasping 20-yard shot that narrowly missed the target.
Bimenyimana was finding good positions and, on 32 minutes, went close with a far post header that flashed just wide and then almost converted Maart’s cut back, this time at the near post a few minutes later.
The teams went into the half-time break at 0-0. It took only three minutes of second-half action for the deadlock to be broken. Mncube dispossessed Zitha Kwinika as he tried to receive a pass from Edmilson Dove on the halfway line and ran through to beat Khune.
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