MTN8 - SOUTH AFRICA

  

SOUTH AFRICA: MTN 8 Cup
19:30	AET	Kaizer Chiefs	5 - 3 (3 - 3)	Maritzburg Utd	(0 - 2)
19:30	Pen	Mamelodi Sundowns	1 - 2 (0 - 0)	Bloem Celtic	(0 - 0)

Kaizer Chiefs moved into the semifinals of the MTN8 after beating Maritzburg United 5-3 in extra time after regulation time ended 3-3 at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Wednesday night.

Confusion in the eighth minute in the Amakhosi defence between Siyanda Xulu and Ivan Bukenya resulted in Kurt Lentjies breaking through on goal, rounding goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse before opening the scoring.

Chiefs took control of the game thereafter, but for all their possession they struggled to find the back of the net due to some poor finishing in front of goal.

In the 13th minute some good work down the left flank saw Tsepo Masilela break down the left and square for Siphiwe Tshabalala, but he fired wide of the target from just inside the box.

In the 37th minute Bernard Parker should have levelled matters when a pin-point pass from Reneilwe Letsholonyane saw the striker through on goal, but he shot over under a challenge from a defender.

Chiefs’ problems were compounded in the first minute of first-half injury time when Maritzburg debutant Thamsanqa Teyise doubled the KZN team’s lead after heading home a corner-kick.

The Soweto giants started the second half like a house on fire and pulled a goal back two minutes into the half when George Lebese headed home a Siboniso Gaxa cross.

Chiefs should have levelled matters in the 50th minute when Lebese turned provider to play Tshabalala into space, but he fired straight at the keeper from close range only for the follow-up to be touched onto the post by David Zulu.

Nonetheless, the Amakhosi did find their equalising goal two minutes later when Parker drove home a 24-yard shot.

Chiefs then took the lead just after the hour mark when Lebese tapped home from only a couple of yards out after a shot from Tshabalala was palmed into his path.

The Amakhosi were their own worst enemies in the 83rd minute as a result of poor communication between defender and keeper when a long ball from Ryan de Jongh sawn Siyanda Xulu heading the ball over his own keeper.

That is the way 90 minutes ended and the game went into extra time.

Extra time saw both teams struggling for fitness and chances on goal were few and far between.

Xulu, though, made up for his earlier own goal in the 114th minute when he acrobatically turned home the ball from six yards out following a goalmouth scramble at a free-kick to put Chiefs 4-3 up.

Hendrick Ekstein added the icing on the cake with his side’s fifth goal in the dying seconds of the match to send Chiefs into the semifinals of the MTN8.

Kaizer Chiefs (0) 5 (Lebese 47’ + 63’, Parker 52’, Xulu 114’, Ekstein 120’)

Maritzburg United (2) 3 (Lentjies 8’, Teyise 45+1’, Xulu 83’ OG)

Teams

Kaizer Chiefs: Pieterse, Gaxa (Moleko 76’), Xulu, Bukenya, Masilela, Katsande, Letsholonyane, Tshabalala, Lebese (Ekstein 84’), Parker, Zulu (Gordinho 118’).

Maritzburg United: Vries, Teyise, De Jongh, Booysen, Mekoa (Moholo 119’), Zulu, Lentjies, Mkhize, Hartog, Cele (Makaringe 52’), Anas (Mokate 69’).

Siwelele send Downs packing

Bloemfontein Celtic beat Mamelodi Sundowns 4-2 via penalties to book a spot in the MTN8 Cup semifinals on Wednesday night at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville after 120 minutes of football ended 1-1.

Fiston Razak Abdul’s goal in extra-time and Musa Bilankulu’s header were enough to take the match to penalties and the victory means the Siwelele join Bidvest Wits, Ajax Cape Town and Kaizer Chiefs in the semifinals.

The match started on a low and one could see it was the first competitive match of the season.

It was the visitors who first threatened when Clinton Larsen’s men pushed forward with Thapelo Morena as he showed his blistering pace to leave several Downs defenders behind. However, Kennedy Mweene was awake to collect once again.

In the 34th minute, great interplay between Teko Modise and debutant Keagan Dolly nearly produced the goods for Pitso Mosimane’s side, but Dolly's left footed shot from outside the area went straight into Patrick Tignyemb’s hands.

The first stanza failed to produce goals and ended in a boring stalemate.

The second stanza looked much livelier as the visitors nearly punished the hosts following a mistake by Asavela Mbekile in the 50th minute, but he recovered to clear from danger.

Ten minutes later, substitute Themba Zwane missed a beautiful chance after his skipper, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, diverted Dolly's corner and the former Mpumalanga Black Aces midfielder saw his shot from close range fly over.

Siwelele continued to push forward and in the 66th minute they nearly punished Sundowns with Mweene making a great save to deny Keagan Buchanan following a good lay off by Lerato Lamola.

With just less than 20 minutes to go, Dolly saw his effort from a free-kick hitting the woodwork as he was close to finding an opener. In their response, Siwelele attacked through Dumisani Zuma but picked Morena who sent his shot to Mweene.

With a few minutes remaining, Tignyemb showed his reflexes when he denied Cuthbert Malajila’s header and the match had to go to extra time.

As early as the opening half of extra-time, Mphahlele came close with his header from Modise's cross nearly beating the flat footed Tignyemb.

It took the hosts 105 minutes to find an opener when Langerman delivered a great cross down the left flank to find Fiston Razak Abdul who finished with ease.

With only two minutes to go, Siwelele bounced back from a set-piece and found an equaliser through Musa Bilankulu who left Mweene stranded allowing the match to be decided on penalties which Celtic won.

Mamelodi Sundowns: (1) 1 (Abdul 105’) (2) (AET)

Bloemfontein Celtic: (1) 1 (Bilankulu 118’) (4) (AET)

Teams

Mamelodi Sundowns: Mweene, Mbekile, Mashaba (Malajila 83’), Nthethe, Mphahlele, Modise, Kekana, Dolly (S. Zwane 91’), Abdul, Laffor (T. Zwane 59’), Langerman

Bloemfontein Celtic: Tignyemb, Fransman, Ndengane, Letlabika, Bilankulu, Lamola, Morena, Nyatama (Zuma 66’), Buchanan (Lakay 81’), Phalane (Ntanga 73’), Mogapi