Mailula & Sundowns Halt Chiefs’ Winning Start
Kaizer Chiefs were unable to extended their winning run in the Betway Premiership after playing to a 1-1 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday afternoon.
Fixture: Kaizer Chiefs v Mamelodi SundownsScore: 1-1Goalscorers: Philli (63′) / Mailula (75′)
The Brazilians were without the talismanic Teboho Mokoena as Mkhulise was rewarded with a start after coming off the bench to score twice against TS Galaxy. As for Chiefs, they had no recognisable senior left-back in the squad as Thabo Moloisane came into the starting line-up for his debut in as Reeve Frolser missed out.
Chiefs coach also set up without a striker on the pitch as Fernando da Cruz packed the midfield with Lebohang Maboe, Siphesihle Ndlovu and Sibongiseni Mthethwa, which made it tough for Sundowns to carve out any clear-cut openings in the opening 15 minutes of the encounter.
The Brazilians unsurprisingly took control of the contest as the first half went on with Marcelo Allende and Mkhulise keeping things ticking in the middle of the park while Antonio van Wyk and Tashreeq Matthews were kept relatively quiet on the wings.
Neither side made changes at the start of the second half, as the Soweto giants continued with the approach that restricted Sundowns to zero efforts on target in the opening 45 minutes.
Da Cruz’s plan ended up paying off as Chiefs took the lead in the 65th minute when Ndlovu won possession high up the pitch and skipped past a couple challenges before teeing up Langelihle Phili, who rifled the ball beyond Ronwen Williams to open his account for the club.
Miguel Cardoso changed his approach after falling behind by adding another striker on the field, which paid off instantly as substitute Cassius Mailula brought Sundowns level on 75 minutes with his first touch after towering about Brandon Petersen to head into an empty net.
Both sides now lose their winning starts in the Premiership, but remain unbeaten while Chiefs continue to hold top spot for now, as Orlando Pirates are only in action on Sunday afternoon.
Kaizer Chiefs: Richards Bay (A), Siwelele FC (H), Polokwane City (A)
Mamelodi Sundowns: Marumo Gallants (H), AmaZulu (H), Golden Arrows (A)
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