Kaizer Chiefs miss out on a chance to climb up the log after drawing with Cape Town City

KAIZER CHIEFS                  (0)(0)

CAPE TOWN CITY             (0)(0)

At FNB Stadium

Kaizer Chiefs missed out on an opportunity to make strides in their top three aspirations after they were held to a stalemate by Cape Town City at FNB on Wednesday night.

Chiefs remained eighth on the Betway Premiership standings after this draw with 29 points, three behind the third-placed Stellenbosch.

City’s struggles, meanwhile, also continued under coach Muhsin Ertugral as they are now winless in the last eight games in the league after three draws and five losses.

This result was more frustrating for Chiefs, though, so much so that Chiefs’ suspended assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef must have lost his voice from shouting from the stands.

And that’s not all. With Chiefs clearly struggling to find consistency after winning their last two games in the league and Nedbank Cup, it proved a point from fan.

Before the start of the game, a Chiefs fan showed a placard which read: ‘Liverpool waited 30 years to lift the Premier League trophy. So, 10 years is nothing. Kaizer Chiefs for life!’

Chiefs engine room is what made the tick coming to this game, thanks to the combination of midfield pair Thabo Cele and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo.

The duo was expected to boss the midfield here yet again here – allowing strikers Makabi Lilepo, Mduduzi Shabalala and Ashley Du Preez to flourish in front of goal.

But it wasn’t to be. Ngcobo didn’t have the best day in the office, forcing Cele to cover hard yards both in defence and attack.

What also made the duo struggle to combine was the presence of Thulani Serero who showed flashes of his old self in his first start for the Citizens.

Serero might no longer be the crème de la crème that blessed the football scene with his talent, but he still showed his deft touches here.

It was nearly from a corner-kick that City nearly found the breakthrough as Nathan Fasika connected with a loose ball, only for Bruce Bvuma to save his shot before Chiefs cleared.

The chances from thereon were few and far between – thanks to the engine room of both sides which were struggling to hit the second gear.

Mduduzi Shabalala then took it upon himself to take the game to the visitors, but his efforts didn’t yield any dividends – albeit keeping Chiefs’ fans on the edge of their seats.

Shabalala initially laid the ball with a cutback for Ngcobo but the midfielder was late in his reaction, resulting in his shot flying into the empty orange chairs behind Darren Keet.

‘Mdu or Due’ again tried to create a goal for Chiefs after making a defence-splitting pass for Gaston Sirino who did well to turn his marker before putting his curler wide of the target.

Dillan Solomons was next to try his luck after doing well to react quickly to a through ball, but he too failed to find the target as his grasscutter sailed wide.

For all his efforts, Shabalala deserved a goal. And that opportunity couldn’t have come easier like when he dispossessed Fasika and snatched the ball in front of City’s box.

But Shabalala missed when it was easier to score after putting the ball wide of the target with only Keet to beat in the one-on-one duel.

Nabi went into the break a frustrated man, and it was no surprise that Ngcobo was the sacrificial lamb and was replaced by George Matlou at half-time.

Chiefs returned with vigour in the second half, but it was City that nearly found the breakthrough only for them to be stopped from their tracks by the brilliance of Bruce Bvuma.

Bvuma initially saved Jaedin Rhodes' effort, before chipping in with one of the saves of the season after blocking Fortune Makaringe point-blank shot with his feet.

Chiefs huffed and puffed for the lead later on, but Keet did well to ensure that City salvaged a point as he saved a curler from Lilepo who earlier in the game had also struck the upright.