Kaizer Chiefs fans get violent as AmaZulu knock the club out of Carling Cup

21 October 2023 - 20:28 By SAZI HADEBE AT FNB STADIUM
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Taariq Fielies of AmaZulu celebrates goal with teammates during the 2023 Carling Black Label Knockout match against Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium, Johannesburg on the 21 October 2023.
Taariq Fielies of AmaZulu celebrates goal with teammates during the 2023 Carling Black Label Knockout match against Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium, Johannesburg on the 21 October 2023.
Image: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Kaizer Chiefs fans reacted with violence when their club was knocked out by AmaZulu FC in the Premier Soccer League's new Carling Knockout Cup at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Chiefs followed Mamelodi Sundowns as one of the big giants to exit the competition in the first round.

Amakhosi lost 1-0 as Usuthu defender Taariq Fielies scored the winner two minutes from time, a goal that extended Amakhosi's silverware drought to an unprecedented eight years.

Fielies' goal came when the game looked set to go to extra-time as both sides failed to create goal scoring chances.

Chiefs supporters started throwing a few missiles towards their bench a few minutes before full time.

Chiefs coach Molefi Ntseki had to be escorted by private security and police to the tunnel after the match and couldn't do his post-match interview on the field for television cameras.

Strangely, Chiefs midfielder Keegan Dolly was voted by the fans as man-of-the-match despite doing nothing impressive before he was substituted just before AmaZulu's goal.

The defeat was Chiefs' own making as they never really took advantage of being a home side as they struggled to create the openings that could have given them a chance to win this match.

The first half was a ding-dong affair with neither team really stamping its authority on the game.

But Dolly could have at least forced a save out of AmaZulu keeper Veli Mothwa when he was put through midway through the half, but his shot was wide.

Ntseki was forced to reshuffle his defence when left back Edmilson Dove suffered an injury just before the end of the first half.

Zitha Kwinika took Dove's place but it was Reeve Frosler who shifted from the right wing to fill Dove's position. 

With Chiefs regular goalkeeper Brandon Petersen still injured, veteran gloveman and skipper Itumeleng Khune started in goals but he had little to do as AmaZulu hardly managed to break the Chiefs defence in the first half.

Molefi tried to change things when he introduced Colombian striker Jasond Gonzalez for an ineffective Ranga Chivaviro. Yusuf Maart, who also had a quiet day in Amakhosi's engine room, made way for Edson Castilo whose long journey after representing his country Venezuela made it impossible for him to start.

But the player Chiefs really missed was their attacker, Ashley du Preez. Du Preez usually creates as many goalscoring opportunities for Chiefs but his absence saw Ntseki's side struggling to make telling inroads towards Usuthu's area.

AmaZulu followed TS Galaxy, Lamontville Golden Arrows, Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch FC as some of the teams that have made the last eight. The draw for the last eight will be done today after the SuperSport United game against Polokwane City at the TUT Stadium.


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