Justin Shonga delivered another blow to Kaizer Chiefs' lukewarm start to the 2018/19 season when he gave Orlando Pirates a priceless winner six minutes from time in an absorbing Telkom Knockout semifinal tie played at a terrific pace in Durban yesterday.
The Zambian goal poacher finished for Bucs when the game looked like heading to extra time with the Soweto giants locked in a 1-1 first-half stalemate.
Shonga's winner sees the Buccaneers, gunning for their first trophy in four years, waiting for the winner of today's encounter between the defending champions Bidvest Wits and Baroka FC for a final in Port Elizabeth next month.
Pirates had come with a psychological advantage after winning the last two league matches in Johannesburg in March towards the end of last season and in October in another humdinger.
Played under overcast but humid Durban weather, the sold-out game always promised to deliver a fantastic atmosphere for the fans with the over 50,000 general tickets having been snapped up within two hours of going on sale weeks before kick-off.
Both mentors made a few telling changes to their starting line-ups compared to the teams they started with on October 27.
Most eye-catching of all was Bucs coach Milutin Sredojevic's decision to make four changes, among them being Jackson Mabokgwane in goals instead of regular shot-stopper Siyabonga Mpontshane.
Chiefs coach Giovanni Solinas also tweaked his starting side, with Lebohang Manyama and George Maluleka taking Bernard Parker and Siphelele Ntshangase's roles respectively in the middle of the park.
Chiefs looked better in the heated early exchanges with Khama Billiat unlucky to see his delightful chip tipped away from danger by Mabokgwane in the eighth minute after he had combined well with Dumsani Zungu on the left flank.
But the Buccaneers did well to take the lead against the run of play in the 12th minute, with Thembinkosi Lorch giving Itumeleng Khune no chance to save his strike which kissed the roof of the net after connecting with a smart cross from fellow winger on the right, Vincent Pule.
The Bucs' lead, however, didn't last beyond five minutes, as Chiefs' pressure paid off as Leonardo Castro pounced on Billiat's defence-splitting pass to chip it over a slowly advancing Mabokgwane to level matters within what was a hectic first 20 minutes of this spectacle.
The second period was not played at as frantic a pace as the first but still both teams created openings that could have turned the game on its head if they were taken.
Even though Bucs players earned four yellow cards within the hour mark, it was incredible that they didn't stop surging forward looking for the winner which duly came from Shonga in the dying minutes of another exhilarating thriller...