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Pressure mounts for Chiefs
17/02/2008 18:51 - (SA)
Orkney - Kaizer Chiefs held Jomo Cosmos to a goalless draw in their PSL match at the Orkney Stadium on Sunday, placing further pressure on the two floundering clubs mired at the wrong end of the league table.
A combination of dreadful finishing and some fine goalkeeping saw Chiefs hold out for a draw against their relegation threatened opponents in blazing hot conditions.
Cosmos created the first genuine scoring chance in the 13th minute, with Dikgang Mabalane running onto a long ball out of defence, but the winger blasted his effort over when he had only Itumeleng Khune to beat.
Just a minute later Mabalane set up Bamuza Sono in the penalty area, but the midfielder's snap shot was off target, and then Chiefs' David Mathebula sent a powerful drive whistling over the angle of upright and crossbar.
Ezenkosi lost influential midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane, who suffered an injured back in a heavy fall, just after the half hour mark, replacing him with Papi Mngomezulu.
Both teams continued to spurn good scoring opportunities, with Cosmos' Geoffrey Massa shooting over from close range in the 38th minute before Kaizer Motaung jnr was guilty of the same offence the other end of the field a short while later.
Cosmos goalkeeper Avril Phali made a sharp save to deny Motaung jnr on the stroke of half-time, leaving the game goalless at the break.
Early in the second half, Mathebula threatened to get on the end of a long ball over the top of Cosmos' defence but Phali came quickly off his line and did just enough to deny the midfielder.
Khune was forced into a sharp save at his near post in the 53rd minute as Morgan Gould broke free down the right of the penalty area and shot on target. Three minutes later Mngomezulu lashed a long range effort just wide of Khune's right hand upright, although the agile goalkeeper appeared to have the shot covered had it been on target.
Just before the hour mark Khune again came up trumps for Amakhosi, keeping out Massa's powerful shot after the Ugandan had cut inside Derrick Spencer and unleashed a fearsome effort that seemed destined for the back of the net.
Onismor Bhasera tested Phali with a low shot on 67 minutes but the Cosmos 'keeper was equal to the task.
Substitute Thuso Phala missed a great chance for Chiefs in the 74th minute after a slick passing move had seen him clean through on goal but he failed to even hit the target, blasting his shot wide of Phali's left hand upright.
And Mngomezulu did almost exactly the same thing for Cosmos just a minute later ? with such poor finishing on show it was little wonder the match ended goalless.
Still, Massa came closest to breaking the deadlock with just five minutes to play, shooting on goal from a tight angle and seeing the ball deflect off the inside of Khune's left leg and hitting the outside of the post.
- SuperSport
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