Staff Reporter.
Kaizer Chiefs claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Golden Arrows in a DStv Premiership encounter played at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday night.
Chiefs remained sixth on the league standings, but they are now level on points with fifth-placed Pirates.
Arrows, on the other hand, extended their losing run to 11 matches across all competitions and they also slipped down to the 11th spot on the league standings.
Abafana Bes’thende will be desperate for a victory when they lock horns with Polokwane City on Sunday.
Abafana Bes’thende started the match brightly with Nqobeko Dlamini forcing goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma into making an early save in the fourth minute.
However, the hosts responded by breaking the deadlock in the 11th minute when Wandile Duba netted to hand Chiefs a 1-0 lead with a curling effort.
Arrows pushed for the equalising goal after the half-hour mark with Angelo Van Rooi’s attempt being saved by Bvuma in the 34th minute.
However, coach Cavin Johnson’s charges were able to contain the visitors and Chiefs were leading 1-0 at the interval courtesy of Duba’s first professional goal.
Coach Mabhuti Khenyeza introduced Moyela Libamba at the start of the second half and the visitors created decent chances.
Knox Mutizwa thought he had leveled matters when he beat Bvuma with a wonderful finish in the 47th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Libamba had a chance to level matters in the 66th minute, but the Zambian marksman was denied by Bvuma who was keen to keep a clean sheet on the night.
Bvuma then pulled off another save in the 86th minute – making a smart diving save to deny Nhlanhla Zwane and, ultimately, Chiefs emerged as 1-0 winners.
Meanwhile AmaZulu drew their latest DStv Premiership fixture 1-1 against Moroka Swallows at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Elsewhere Stellenbosch FC moved up to second position on the DStv Premiership log this week, following a hard-fought 1-0 win over their Western Cape counterparts Cape Town City at the DHL Stadium on Tuesday night.