Kaizer Chiefs held by gutsy 10-man Galaxy in Mbombela

Kaizer Chiefs were unable to profit from playing against 10 men for a good portion of their DStv Premiership match against gutsy TS Galaxy at a noisy Mbombela Stadium on Sunday, Amakhosi having to settle for a 0-0 draw.

Galaxy lost right-back Marks Munyai to a red card in the 56th minute.

The match was delayed by half-an-hour from an original 3.30pm kickoff due to supporters crowding to enter the stadium.

In one of those familiar football anomalies, Chiefs arguably were more penetrative and created more clear-cut chances playing against 11 men in the first half than when Galaxy organised themselves into a defensive block reduced to 10 in the second.

Arthur Zwane’s fifth-placed Chiefs remain inconsistent, scoring one of their biggest problems as they followed a 2-0 victory at home to Royal with a draw that made it just one win in five games, the other three being successive defeats before the match against AM.

Sead Ramović’s tenacious Galaxy continued to claw away from relegation danger, their 11th draw of the season leaving them in 10th place.

Chiefs edged the first half, and should have gone to half time having broken the deadlock.

They came out on the front foot, earning free-kicks around Galaxy’s area, one of which by Keagan Dolly picked out Sifiso Hlanti who was free. The left-back misdirecting his header well off target.

Chiefs’ best chance came just before the half-hour as Ashley Du Preez fed inside from deep on the left to find Dolly, who passed forward. Mduduzi Shabalala executed a beautiful leave, the ball running through to find Du Preez again having made the overlapping run, the forward steering wide of the right upright.

As the break approached, right-back Siyabonga Ngezana’s persistence on his run in from touchline saw the ball land at Hlanti’s feet on the edge of the box who forced a stop from goalkeeper Vasilije Kolak.

Things became difficult for Galaxy at the start of the second half.

Just less than 10 minutes in, right-back Munyai attempted to clear, Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana came in with a stretching challenge and the Rockets fullback caught the big Chiefs striker on the shin with his follow-through.

The Galaxy player received a second yellow card and consequent dismissal. Chiefs’ new 22-year-old Democratic Republic of the Congo striker Christian Saile replaced injured Bimenyimana in the 57th.

Galaxy, as can so often the case, rallied with 10 men and applied themselves with guts and determination.

Chiefs naturally had all the possession and territory but resolute defending limited Amakhosi to shots from range, as neither Siyethemba Sithebe or Yusuf Maart could force a save from Kolak.