Soccer
Very poor showing from Amakhosi ends in defeat
If Kaizer Chiefs are serious about a decent Absa Premiership finish they will need to play better than in their flat defeat to the league stragglers Baroka FC at the FNB Stadium last night.
Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp had stressed the need during the week to take Baroka as seriously as Amakhosi had taken title contenders Cape Town City in a polished 2-0 Nedbank Cup shutout in Nelspruit on Sunday.
Chiefs did try to play at a crisp level, enjoying most of the possession and territory in the first half, without creating quite the frequency of real chances they would have liked.
For Baroka, a cross from winger Matome Mateba found Lawrence Ntwane up alone, but the lanky centreback was leaning back on his header.
Philani Zulu should have done better midway through the half when Bernard Parker won a header to a ball upfield to tee the Amakhosi midfielder up in the small box, but he steered wide.
Kaizer Chiefs saw centreback Teenage Hadebe stretchered off in the 37th minute, as Middendorp opted to make a tactical change, bringing on centre-forward Ryan Moon.
Amakhosi had another fine opportunity to take the lead soon after the break as Moon beat the offside trap and took the ball around goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze, but in doing so he also took it wide and rolled an attempted finish into the netting.
Chiefs' tempo improved from the change-rooms, and some of the buildups began to replicate what they had produced in Nelspruit last weekend.
But they could not produce a clinical final pass.
Unable to capitalise on the ball and direction of play they were enjoying, Amakhosi conceded.
In the 65th minute, Dax won the ball off Baroka substitute Mduduzi Mdantsane on the edge of Chiefs' box.
Referee Cedric Muvhali adjudged it as a foul.
Winger Tshediso Patjie's free-kick was finely struck, but Amakhosi goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma wrong-footed himself and could have done better with the reach.
After another fine buildup Pule Ekstein created space but then shot straight at Chipezeze.
Kaizer Chiefs(0) 0
Baroka FC(0) 1
GOALS: Baroka -Tshediso Patjie (66m)..
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