Andile Jali of Pirates and Barnard Parker of Chiefs during the Carling Black Label Cup match between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs from FNB Stadium on July 27, 2013 in Johannesburg.
Photo: Lefty Shivambu / Gallo Images
Orlando Pirates have the advantage after the first leg of the MTN8 semifinals after a 1-0 defeat of Kaizer Chiefs at Soccer City on Saturday afternoon.
Daine Klate scored the only goal of the match in the first half, but Amakhosi had a number of chances late on to at least salvage a draw going into the return leg on September 24.
Pirates’ last competitive game was the 4-1 thumping of Egyptian giants Zamalek, and the confidence was clearly still with them as they completely dominated the early exchanges.
Chiefs, by contrast, were playing their first match in 14 days, and it showed as they were all over the place for the first 40 minutes.
Even the usually brilliant Itumeleng Khune showed signs of nerves as he flapped at an early Tlou Segolela cross which was eventually cleared to safety.
Shortly afterwards Tsepo Masilela showed all his experience with a timely block from Lennox Bacela’s shot, but there was nothing anyone could do for the opener on 12 minutes.
Mulomowandau Mathoho had given away a cheap foul on the edge of the area, and Klate stepped up to bend a pin-point curling free-kick just inside the left-hand upright.
Chiefs were nowhere at this point, losing the ball all too regularly and allowing Pirates to attack down the flanks. Even the in-form Siphiwe Tshabalala spent more time tracking back to defend rather than getting his team on the front foot.
In fact, it took 36 minutes for the home side to get their first shot on target, and even then it was a weak headed attempt by Mathoho. – Kick-Off.com
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