Kaizer Chiefs missed an opportunity to move to second spot on the Betway Premiership table as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Polokwane City at the old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday.
Lebohang Maboe gave Chiefs the lead in the 29th minute while Giovanni Philander levelled for City in the 73rd minute. The result coupled with the outcome in the AmaZulu vs Marumo Gallants game sees Chiefs drop to fourth place on the log with 12 points from six matches while Rise and Shine moved up to seventh place on the table with six points from the same number of matches.
City wasted chances to get ahead in the first half as they looked threatening. In the ninth minute they won corner kick, Keoraperse Sebone swung the ball into the box where it found his captain Lebohang Nkaki who missed the target.
The home side piled pressure on their visitors as they searched for the opener with Brandon Petersen having to make two consecutive super saves to deny them a goal. First it was Manuel Kambala’s attempt and then Sebone and the later one saving it on the goal mouth in the 19th minute.
City rued the missed opportunities as Siphesihle Ndlovu set-up Maboe who broke the deadlock in the 29th minute with his second goal of the season. There were opportunities for Chiefs to double their lead before the break however their final touches weren’t as lethal.
There was one change for City when they returned from the break with Philander replacing Sebone while Chiefs remained unchanged.
Bradley Cross could have scored in the first minute of the stanza but shot wide, while Etiosa Ighodaro also wasted a chance soon after. Just before the hour mark Maboe sent a good ball to Ighodaro in the box but the Nigeria missed the ball with his head one on one with the keeper.
Bonginkosi Dlamini came close to levelling in the 66th minute but only forced Petersen to make a save. But Philander equalised straight from a corner in the 73red minute with Kambala almost getting the winner for the home side a minute later.
There was a contentious moment in injury time when it looked like Pule Mmodi as brought down in the box. With Chiefs were persistent in getting the winner and sub Faiz Abrahams only came close.