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No Kaizer Chiefs in Super8
20/05/2007 18:56 - (SA)
Pretoria - Silver Stars beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in an exciting Premiership clash
at the Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday.
The result means that Chiefs will not participate in the Supa8 tournament, a Cup they won last year.
Hareiapha "Simba" Marumo headed in a Tshepo Ramokala cross to put Stars in the lead just on the half-hour mark. The energetic Serge Djiehoua equalised for Chiefs in the 64th minute from a Jimmy Tau cross and despite the pressure Chiefs exerted throughout the game, they succumbed to a Ramokala cross which Simphiwe Mkhonza directed past Rowen Fernandez to end off a poor campaign for the Soweto giant who finish ninth on the 16-team league table.
Chiefs started the game at a blistering pace and rarely allowed Stars to get out of their half. However, the Lions of the North seemed content to sit back and soak up whatever their hosts threw at them.
The burly Ivorian striker Serge Djiehoua was in a no-nonsense mood as he attacked every ball hastily but could not get the better of Stars centre-backs Willem Jackson and Abuss Inusah in defence.
Nevertheless, together with Siyabonga Nkosi and David Radebe upfront the AmaKhosi had Stars pinned down, but their finishing was off and Tapuwa Kapini only made routine saves in first stanza.
No mistake from inside the box
When Stars got forward they did so with precision and a quick-counter attack in the 30th minute suddenly had Chiefs on the backfoot.
A pin-point cross from the left-back Ramokala met Marumo who made no mistake from inside the box. The AmaKhosi faithful were stunned into silence as their team had more possession and chances than the humble Stars.
Chiefs coach Kosta Papic introduced veteran Thabo Mooki for Nkosi at the start of the second half, obviously looking for a passage through to goal from the Chiefs pass-master.
Ten minutes into the break and Mooki's expertise came to the fore when he tested Kapini with a goal-bound freekick from 25 metres out.
The Chiefs' faithful found their voice again and urged their team on to score. South African international Jimmy Tau got forward from his right-back position and whipped in a deceptive cross that Inusah could not get to, but that Djiehoua powerfully headed past Kapini.
The Ivorian signalled to the fans that more was coming and for them to wait for it. He was right, but just it happened on the other end of the field for the visitors.
Ramokala, in acres of space down the left flank, sent in a dangerous cross and the usually reliable Mkhonza headed the ball past Fernandez in to the back of the net, instead of for a corner. Even though seven minutes were added on, the fans started streaming out Loftus where just five nights ago Mamelodi Sundowns lifted their Premiership league title.
In stark contrast to Sundowns, Chiefs finished off their dismal 2006/07 season - arguably their worst ever - with a loss against a team that has now reached their highest finish (second) since entering the league in 2003/04.
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