Staff Reporter.
Kaizer Chiefs scored a late goal to force a 1-1 draw at Maritzburg United in the DStv Premiership clash on Wednesday evening.
Chiefs kept the same side that beat Petro de Luanda in the CAF Champions League, with Bernard Parker and Lebogang Manyama leading the front-line while striker Samir Nurkovic was only fit enough to start from the bench.
Maritzburg took a lead when Thabiso Kutumela broke the deadloc in the 15th minute with a strike into the bottom corner after a square pass from Jose Ali Meza, although replays did show that the scorer was in an offside position.
Amakhosi were absorbing the pressure from the Team of Choice and only started to threaten in the closing phase of the first stanza as Willard Katsande’s header was saved by goalkeeper Marcel Engelhardt from Reeve Frosler’s cross.
Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt made a double change at half-time, bringing on Nurkovic in place of Lazarous Kambole while Njabulo Blom replaced Katsande.
The changes did not have the desired effect in the first quarter of an hour from the break, as Maritzburg were dropping deep, frustrating the visitors with a low block.
And Judas Moseamedi nearly haunted Amakhosi again with 12 minutes to go from a through ball to the area, but he cracked the woodwork.
Chiefs rescued a point two minutes from time through a glancing header from Lebogang Manyama following a floating ball out wide, as the two share spoils.
Meanwhile Golden Arrows have shot into second place on the DStv Premiership log after a 2-1 away win over Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Arrows find themselves just one point behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns (having played three games more) after picking up a ninth win of the season.
TTM see a three-game unbeaten run come to an end as they remain just four points above bottom-of-the-log Black Leopards.
Elsewhere TS Galaxy kept up their great form in the DStv Premiership with a 3-1 win over Black Leopards at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit and AmaZulu FC secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chippa United in the DStv Premiership match at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, near East London, on Wednesday evening.