Abomakoti of PSL Vasco Da Gama hammer sleeping Chiefs defence

Abomakoti of PSL Vasco Da Gama hammer sleeping Chiefs defence


Date: 27 November 2010

Article: Madoda Ntuli

kick-off: 20h15

Venue: FNB Stadium



PSL rookies Vasco da Gama caused the biggest upset of the weekend when they beat Telkom Knockout finalists Kaizer Chiefs 3-2 in an Absa Premiership clash played at FNB Stadium on Saturday night.

Goals from Jonathan Armogam, Sibusiso Zuma, and Jonathan Fransman secured the three points for the Cape Town outfit, while Chiefs got their goals from Abia Nale and Knowledge Musona.



Chiefs rested three of their star players – Siphiwe Tshabalala, Itumeleng Khune and Reneilwe Letsholonyane –for the Telkom Knockout final against Pirates at the same venue on December 4, and the decision seemed to be suicidal for the Naturena lads.



Prior to this duel, Tshabalala and Khune were on two yellow cards each, and Letsholonyane had a slight injury. Coach Vladimir Vermezovic indicated that he didn’t want to risk facing Pirates without the three Bafana Bafana players.



Chiefs were the first to threaten, when George Lebese delivered a cross of supreme quality in the third minute but there was no Sthembiso Ngcobo or Knowledge Musona to connect with the inviting cross.



The visitors were also eager to stamp their authority on the home side from the first whistle, and it came as no surprise when Armogam surprised all sundry when he beat a cluster of Chiefs players before beating Arthur Bartman in Chiefs’ goal with a low shot to put his side on the driving seat in the ninth minute.



In an attempt to clear danger, Chiefs striker Ngcobo nearly scored an own goal in the 17th minute, but the former Free State Stars striker was lucky to see his clearance going inches wide with Arthur Bartman at his mercy.



However, Chiefs had an upper hand in terms of ball possession. Their intricate and diagonal passing that looked like a nuclear physics sketch on a drawing board left the cape side’s midfielders dazed and scratching their heads without any answers.



Knowledge Musona almost scored in the 22nd minute, but the Chiefs striker was denied by the agile goalkeeping of Posnett Omony who parried the ball away for a corner.



At this stage, Chiefs were hell bound to destroy their opponents but Vasco da Gama’s back four, led by former Chiefs defender Mokete Tsotetsi and Francois Adams remained firm.



Even so, Chiefs did carve some good openings. In the 28th minute the deadly Musona was neatly picked by Jimmy Tau on the right flank but the Zimbabwean striker directed his header over the bar, much to the disappointment of the Amakhosi’s faithful.



However, three minutes later, Musona atoned for his earlier miss when he set up Abia Nale, who made no mistake by beating Omony to give the home side the much awaited equaliser.



After the goal, Chiefs did not give up and pressed forward for the second one, but Vasco da Gama’s defence was determined to defend their goal.



The visitors’ net-minder, also looked solid, commanding his area well and confidently coming out to combat numerous attempts at his goal by Musona and company.



After the break Vasco finally found their rhythm and launched a sporadic outburst of counter attacks, but the Cape Town outfit seemed to be running out of ideas on entering the Chiefs territory.



Dominic Isaacs was given a task of chasing Sibusiso Zuma the whole night and, as expected, the Amakhosi defender stuck to him like a pair of tight underpants in the first half.



But he would have been disappointed when, after a long pass from the left, Zuma managed to beat him before scoring his side’s second goal in the 56th minute.



Sensing danger, Chiefs coach, Vladimir Vermezovic opted for fresh legs and went for broke when he introduced Siyabulela Sonqwigi and Lucky Khune in place of Lebese and Ngcobo.



The move nearly paid dividends but once more Omony underlined his class when he denied Musona what could have been a second goal for Amakhosi in the 68th minute.



Chiefs did not rest on their laurels and wait for a miracle to happen. They did all in their power to come back into the game, but fluffed the chances they created.



Fransman scored Vasco da Gama’s third goal in the 82nd minute, before Musona scored Chiefs’ second in the 85th minute.



The Soweto side were unable to draw level in the dying minutes of the game.



Kaizer Chiefs (1) 2 (Nale 31’, Musona 86’)

Vasco da Gama (1) 3 (Armogam 9’, Zuma 56’, Fransman 82’)



Teams:



Chiefs: Bartman, Tau, Jambo, Isaacs, Nahayo, Nengomasha, Nale, Dladla, (Mateba 80th) Lebese, (Sonqwiqi 59th) Ngcobo, (Khune 66th) Musona.



Vasco: Omony, Isaacs, Mototo, Tsotetsi, Adams Armogam, Karkee, (Mothibantwa 70th) Kamwendo, (Fransman 78th) Dirang, Alexander, Zuma (August 71st)