Kaizer Chiefs will be celebrating after their impressive start to the new season continued when they came from a goal down to beat Cape Town City 2-1 in a pulsating league encounter at the Newlands Stadium on Tuesday night.
The result sees Ernst Middendorp's team consolidating their lead at the top of the league standings, with 10 points from four matches, four points above their closest competitor.
Cape Town City started off hot and with just three minutes played, they took the lead when Kermit Erasmus, with his back to goal in the box, beautifully turned Chiefs defender Erick Mathoho before firing into the net, leaving Amakhosi looking shell-shocked.
FIRED UP: Kermit Erasmus runs to Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy after scoring against Kaizer Chiefs. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix.
With the packed stands making for an electric atmosphere, Chiefs regrouped and should have scored in the 12th minute, but from close range, Lazarous Kambole headed wide following a Reeve Frosler cross.
City, continued to pose a major threat to the visitors’ defence and it took a goal-line clearance from Mathoho to prevent the ever-lively Erasmus from scoring again eight minutes before the break.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/AbsaPrem?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AbsaPrem- RESULT: @CapeTownCityFC1⃣-2⃣ @KaizerChiefs
Amakhosi fought back to maintain their unbeaten record in the league as they clinched all 3⃣ points against the Citizens at Newlands Stadium. pic.twitter.com/Tz2Pw3WtrC
— SuperSport (@SuperSportTV)
The Soweto side came out the blocks quickly after the restart and saw City keeper Peter Leeuwenburgh tipped a 47th minute cross onto his crossbar, Nurkovic also hit the woodwork on the follow-up, the ball falling for Khama Billiat, who squeezed the ball into the net, only to have the goal ruled out in what seemed a harsh call.
The visitors finally got their reward not long afterwards when Cardoso was left unmarked at the far post and scored with a thumping header after Lebogang Manyama's pin-point free-kick from the right.
IMPRESSIVE: Samir Norkovic made an impression. Photo: Phando Jikelo/ANA.
The game remained open and energetic right up to the final whistle, with Leeuwenburgh doing well deep in added time to keep out a stinging drive from the impressive Nurkovic, who was named Man of the Match.
African News Agency