Kaizer Chiefs are on the cusp of winning their first DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) title following their hard-fought 1-0 win over TS Galaxy.
The match was played at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday.
Thanks to the second-half goal by substitute Manqoba Ozoemena, who finally broke the deadlock in the 76th minute, Amakhosi retained their number one spot ahead of title contenders Stellenbosch FC.
Chiefs currently sit on top of the standings with 58 points, while chasers and defending champions Stellenbosch are right on their heels with 57 points and three games to go.
Stellies played their game on Saturday and produced an impressive comeback when they overturned a 2-0 deficit against Richards Bay FC at half-time to end up winning the match 3-2.
Coach happy with three points
After the match, a visibly relieved Chiefs co-coach Dillon Sheppard expressed his delight at walking away with the maximum points.
“Very important three points. The players were pumped up for this one. We know the limitations that Stellenbosch faced after their win on Saturday,” said Sheppard.
“[I am] happy with the three points, but we’ll go back and reflect on the performance because I think we lost a lot of parts of the game today.
“We lost control, especially in our possession, and we gave away the ball too easily. These boys are still developing, so we’ve got to help them get to the high level. Good three points, but I wanted a better performance from the boys.”
Winning league is the ultimate goal
Sheppard emphasised the importance of delivering their maiden DDC trophy as the league celebrates 10 years of its existence.
“Winning the league is the ultimate goal. We have won the DDC Shield twice, but the league is a marathon and the pinnacle for us.
“And to do it on the 10th anniversary, I think winning this league title will be special. The players are motivated, and the performances up to now have been good.
“The players have been outstanding, not from the physical point, but from the mentality and the mental strength that they’ve shown in games.
“But we still have four more games to go, and [we] have to take it one game at a time.”
