Super sub Lebese gives Chiefs win over Chippa
George Lebese played the super substitute role to perfection, with his second-half strike, allowing title-chasing Kaizer Chiefs to move to joint top of the league standings, as they saw off relegation-haunted Chippa United 1-0 in an Absa Premiership match played at the Mbombela Stadium near Nelspruit on Saturday evening.
Chiefs coach Steve Khompela would have had not-so-good memories of the first round league encounter between the two sides played in Port Elizabeth earlier in the season, where the Amakosi were on the receiving end of a 3-1 drubbing.
The coach went into battle with an all-out attacking formation with Edmore Chirambadore, Siphiwe Tshabalala and the in-form former Chippa United winger Joseph Malangoane, playing just behind target man, Venezuelan striker Gustavo Paez, who started in place of the suspended Bernard Parker.
Lebese, who took over from Chirambadore at the start of the second half, received a pass from fellow substitute William Twala before striking powerfully with his left foot to giving Chippa’s Nigerian goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi no chance of saving, in the 80th minute.
The scoreline should have been greater in favour of the hosts, with Ramahkwe Mphahlele guilty of heading wide of the target in the first half, after receiving a superb cross from Siphiwe Tshabalala. Tshabalala too, should have done better in the second period but shot wide of the target after being put through by a class, with Mphalele being the provider.
The win sees Chiefs joint top with Cape Town City in the hunt for the Absa Premiership title as a midweek win over Bloemfontein Celtic and the triumph over Bloemfontein Celtic has catapulted the Soweto giants to 45 points from 24 matches.
Next Saturday, the Amakhosi will switch their focus to Nedbank Cup quarterfinal action when they host Supersport United at the FNB Stadium.
Chippa meanwhile, without a league win in 9 outings (5 draws and 4 losses), find themselves slipping closer to the relegation battle at the bottom of the log, and their 24 points from as many games see them remain in 12th place.
By the time of the final whistle, just four points separated the bottom four teams on the league table. Chippa will host Jomo Cosmos in their Nedbank Cup quarterfinal, at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.