Cosmos hold off Amakhosi
Jomo Cosmos and Kaizer Chiefs were forced to settle for a 0-0 scoreline in their Premiership match at Olen Park Stadium, in Potchefstroom, on Tuesday night.
Ezenkosi were the first to attack their visitors when Mxolisi Macuphu saw his shot going wide of Reyaad Pieterse’s goals in the opening three minutes.
The Amakhosi intensified their probe for an opener as they received a setpiece in the ninth minute. Defender Tsepo Masilela was unfairly challenged, and Erick Mathoho’s header went wide with the Cosmos’ keeper beaten.
Jomo Sono’s men closed down Amakhosi and didn’t allow them too much time on the ball and in the 30th minute, Charlton Mashumba hit the side of the net as the ball was deflected wide from a timely intervention by Pieterse.
Nevertheless, Amakhosi were able to find the back of the net with less than three minutes remaining before the interval, but Edward Manqele was adjudged to have been in an offside position leaving both sides goalless at the break.
In the second stanza Amakhosi were the better side, showcased when Masilela’s attempt went inches wide off the far post and after few minutes, Manqele was denied by Sherwyn Naicker after a defence-splitting pass.
Against the run of play, Pieterse denied Mashumba for the second time after unleashing a powerful shot from outside the box.
In the dying minutes of the contest, Amakhosi nearly stole the show when substitute Siphelele Mthembu saw his effort off smash into the woodwork.
With just one minute to go, Naicker was saved by the woodwork when he watched Bukenya’s shot hurtle into the posts and both sides took one point apiece, Ezenkosi are placed at position 14 with four points while the league defending champions occupy the fifth spot on the log with 11 points.
ANA