Staff Reporter.
Kaizer Chiefs dropped points in their opening game of the 2023/24 PSL season as they drew 0-0 with Chippa United at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
There was no shortage of chances in Durban, but neither team could make the all-important breakthrough, with new Chilli Boys signing Augustine Mulenga coming closest to finding the back of the net.
The stalemate sees Chippa sitting eighth in the standings on the opening weekend of the new DStv Premiership season, one place ahead of the Glamour Boys.
Molefi Ntseki handed debuts to Given Msimango, Thatayaone Ditlhokwe, Edson Castillo and Ranga Chivaviro, while Menzi Ndwandwe, Goodman Mosele and Mulenga made their bows for Morgan Mammila’s side.
Mammila had spoken of frustrating Chiefs early on in the build-up to the match and Chippa managed that to an extent as the Soweto giants struggled to make inroads in the opening quarter of an hour.
The visitors made the brighter start and created two good chances in the opening stages as Siphelele Luthuli fired over from inside the area on the left in the seventh minute before Ndwandwe failed to keep his shot down from a more central position in the box six minutes later.
Amakhosi had their first sniff at goal from a long-range free-kick in the 19th minute that Nkosingiphile Ngcobo sent well over the crossbar and the attacking midfielder drew a comfortable save out of Stanley Nwabali three minutes later after lining up another strike from distance.
The best chance of the half arrived on 28 minutes when Mulenga then tested Brandon Petersen with a header after getting on the end of Azola Ntsabo’s cross, which proved to be the final action of note before halftime.
Mduduzi Shabalala looked to break the deadlock shortly after the restart with a long-range effort that sailed over the goal, while Mulenga tried his luck from outside the box moments later and produced a routine save out of Petersen.
Ndwandwe wasted a glorious opportunity to open the scoring in the 49th minute as he steered a header wide of the right post from a corner before Msimango proved equally wasteful at the other end three minutes later when he headed over from close range.
The Glamour Boys were starting to look more dangerous and Shabalala forced Nwabali into a fine save with a strike from outside the box on 54 minutes before Christian Saile also worked the goalkeeper from inside the area on the left in the 73rd minute.
Ronaldo Maarman gave Petersen more work to do with an attempt from distance on 75 minutes and the Chiefs keeper had to be alert to deny Ayabulela Konqobe a late winner for Chippa after the midfielder took a pop from range in stoppage time.
Meanwhile Cape Town Spurs suffered a 1-0 loss against TS Galaxy in their first 2023-24 DStv Premiership encounter at the Mbombela stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Elsewhere Cape Town City were made to work for their first points of the 2023/24 DStv Premiership campaign following their 1-0 win over Polokwane City at the Athlone Stadium on Sunday evening.