Kaizer Chiefs’ hopes of climbing into second position on the Betway Premiership log suffered another setback after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Polokwane City at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Soweto giants appeared on course for another valuable three points after taking an early lead, but a late equaliser — courtesy of an unfortunate own goal by goalkeeper Brandon Petersen — denied them victory.
It was a largely uninspiring encounter in the Limpopo capital, with neither side managing to produce the attacking intensity expected from a fixture involving two teams looking to strengthen their positions near the top half of the table.
Chiefs eventually broke the deadlock in the 28th minute when Lebohang Maboe finished from close range after Pule Mmodi delivered a cross into the box. Maboe redirected the ball into the net to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
Polokwane City, however, refused to surrender and returned from the break with renewed determination.
Coach Willy Moloto introduced Giovanni Philander at the start of the second half, and the home side gradually increased the pressure on the Chiefs defence.
Philander came close to scoring in the 60th minute when he tested Petersen with a left-footed effort from outside the box, but the Chiefs goalkeeper produced a good save.
The pressure finally paid off in the 72nd minute, although Polokwane City needed a huge slice of fortune to get back into the match.
Petersen inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net, handing Rise and Shine an equaliser and bringing the home supporters to life.
Chiefs tried to regain the lead in the closing stages, but their finishing let them down. Faiz Abrahams had an opportunity in the 86th minute but could not find the target, while the visitors were unable to break down a determined Polokwane defence.
The draw means Chiefs missed an opportunity to strengthen their challenge near the top of the standings, while Polokwane City continued their fight for consistency after a difficult opening spell.
The result also extends Chiefs’ frustrating run of dropped points, with the Glamour Boys struggling to turn promising performances into victories.
AmaZulu pile more misery on Gallants
Elsewhere, AmaZulu continued their impressive start to the season with a 1-0 victory over struggling Marumo Gallants.
The Durban side went into the encounter looking to build on their positive results earlier in the campaign, while Gallants were desperate for a turnaround after a poor run of results.
The victory further strengthens AmaZulu’s position among the early-season contenders and piles more pressure on Gallants, who have struggled to find consistency.
Sekhukhune and Stellenbosch share the spoils
In Friday night’s encounter at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, Stellenbosch FC and Sekhukhune United shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw.
Sekhukhune took the lead in the 62nd minute through Bethuel Muzeu after Lehlogonolo Mojela’s initial effort took a deflection before Muzeu finished from close range.
Stellenbosch rescued a point in the 86th minute when veteran striker Bradley Grobler found the back of the net from close range following a cross from Siviwe Nkwali.
The result saw both sides settle for a point in a match that struggled to produce much excitement during the opening half.
For Chiefs, however, the biggest disappointment remains the missed opportunity at home to Polokwane City, with the Soweto giants forced to settle for a point when victory would have strengthened their position in the early Premiership race.