On a day that began bathed in sunshine and ended in precipitation, Orlando Pirates rained on the bright pre-match hopes of the Amakhosi faithful that packed FNB Stadium, by winning the first Betway Premiership Soweto derby of the season 3-0 on Saturday.
Tshepang Moremi gave Orlando Pirates an early lead in the fifth minute before Oswin Appollis doubled the lead six minutes before half-time.
Evidence Makgopa added the third in the 78th minute on a disappointing afternoon for lovers of the Gold & Black.
OPINION | Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates: Who flopped, who fired
Struggled to find any rhythm
Kaizer Chiefs struggled to find any rhythm throughout the first half and fell behind with only five minutes gone when Deon Hotto played a corner to Moremi just outside the Amakhosi penalty area.
He was allowed too much time to set himself for a shot which took a wicked deflection off Flavio Silva, leaving Bruce Bvuma wrong-footed as the ball dribbled into his net.
The home side tried to play their way back into the game and had a few promising moments, particularly down the left flank where Ethan Chislett continued the good form from his debut in midweek and Pule Mmodi made some good forays into Orlando Pirates territory.
In midfield, Lebohang Maboe and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo were finding the going tough and weren’t able to bring attacking threats from Silva and Glody Lilepo into the game.
Space inside the box
Kaizer Chiefs were on the back foot for much of the half, with the likes of Inacio Miguel, Zitha Kwinika and, especially, Aden McCarthy performing at their best to repel the visitors.
That was until the 39th minute in which Relebohile Mofokeng found Appollis in space inside the box whereupon the striker placed his shot beyond Bvuma’s grasp to double the lead.
Kaizer Chiefs could have been awarded a penalty two minutes later when replays showed that Hotto appeared to foul Silva inside the box, but the referee waved play on and the teams went into the break with Orlando Pirates leading 2-0.
Amakhosi made more of a fist of the contest in the second half, coming out on the front foot and making goalkeeper Sipho Chaine work to save from Chislett and Lilepo.
However, they could not gain enough traction to claw their way back and were consigned to a miserable day in the 78th minute when Makgopa headed home from a Moremi cross after Hotto had taken a quick throw in with Miguel off the field receiving treatment for cramp.
Standings update
Kaizer Chiefs remain in fourth place in the league table for the time being and will be extra determined to get their season back on track when they visit Richards Bay on Tuesday, 3 March at 19:30.
Amakhosi trail new log leaders Orlando Pirates by 11 points, but do have a game in hand.
Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns could regain top spot when they host Sekhukhune United on Sunday, 1 March at 15:30.
Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates’ next league fixture is an away clash against Polokwane City on Wednesday, 4 March at 19:30.
UPDATED BETWAY PREMIERSHIP LOG
TEAMS
Kaizer Chiefs
Bvuma (16); McCarthy (35), Miguel (84) (Cross (48) 81’), (Kwinika (4), Monyane (2), Ngcobo (12) (Cele (21)46’), Maboe (6), Chislett (23) (Du Preez (9) 67’), Mmodi (13) (Velebayi (17) 46’), Lilepo (99), Da Silva (77) (Duba (47) 81’)
Subs not used: Ntwari (71); Mako (29), Solomons (18), Sirino (10)
Coaches: Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze
Orlando Pirates
Chaine (24); Sibisi (5), Seema (33), Sibelebele (36), Hotto (7), Makhaula (8), Mofokeng (38), Mbatha (16) (Nemtajela (15) 62’), Mbuthuma (9) (Makgopa (17) 69’), Moremi (11) (Van Rooyen (21) 85’), Appolis (12) (Masanganyi (28) 85’)
Subs not used: Buthelezi (35); Dansin (46), Chabatsane (43), De Jong (14), Ndaba (3)
Coach: Ouaddou Abdeslami