Johannesburg - A moment of solo brilliance from Yusuf Maart handed Kaizer Chiefs their first win over arch-rivals Orlando Pirates this season in a league Soweto Derby at the FNB Stadium.
Chiefs took all the three points from Pirates to climb to the third place on the log, while Pirates, who have the MTN8 final to play next Saturday, remain in fifth.
Moreover, this win brought some comfort to head coach Arthur Zwane, who been under pressure following a mixed bag of results so far this season.
EXTRAORDINARY 🤩
Yusuf Maart gives Kaizer Chiefs the lead in stunning fashion 💯
📺 Stream the #SowetoDerby live: https://t.co/Tg69y0m5GD | #DStvPrem pic.twitter.com/vDn5FA6KSA
Pirates went into the match as the the favourites, given their recent winning run where they also progressed to the MTN8 final after beating Sundowns last week.
So, high on confidence and happy with his players, coach Jose Riveiro made only two changes to the team that started in the MTN8 semis in Polokwane.
Zakhele Lepasa partnered Kermit Erasmus up front, while Goodman Mosele replaced the suspended anchor Miguel Timm in the Bucs’ engineroom.
Chiefs made three changes, with the beleaguered Khama Billiat leading the line in search for goals.
But it was Pirates who tested the waters first as the red-hot Monnapule Saleng drilled a hard and low shot which was saved by Brandon Petersen.
Pirates were not only pressing Chiefs, but they dominated possession, looking to expose the pockets of spaces in the Glamour Boys’ final third of the pitch
While Chiefs were happy to give Pirates the ball, they used long balls to find their runners as they knew that marksman Ashley Du Preez has the speed to get in behind the ‘home’ team’s defence.
That plan should have paid off not only once but twice as Du Preez went on a couple of one-on-one duel with goalkeeper Siyabonga Mpontshane later on which he couldn’t convert.
By the time this game went into halftime, it was evenly matched. But Chiefs knew that they should have led, having had most of the chances.
Heeding to Chiefs’ threat from the first half, Riveiro made two substitutions after the break as Kabelo Dlamini and Fortune Makarige took the field.
That was Pirates’ third substitution after Innocent Maela was subbed off early in the first half and replaced by Paseka Mako after sustaining an injury.
Kermit Erasmus, who had put a hard and low shot wide earlier, nearly lifted the Calabash’s roof in the second half, but his curling shot was wide of goal.
But, again, Chiefs flipped the script, as they made inroads into Pirates final third. Except, this time, they were in control in their build-up play.
And, boy, were they rewarded in style! Maart noticed that Mpontshane was off his line, before lobbing a ball from the centre line into the empty net.
Chiefs should have doubled their tally in no time after Nkosingiphile Ngcobo controlled well inside the box only to put his effort to go wide of the target.
In the end, though, Maart’s goal was all it took for Amakhosi to claim the town’s bragging rights and their last win of the first half of the season.