Chiefs Reach Carling Knockout Semis After Siwelele Victory

Kaizer Chiefs secured their place in the Carling Knockout Cup semi-finals after coming from behind to claim a 2-1 victory over Siwelele at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday evening.

Amakhosi headed into the encounter looking to bounce back from their recent defeat to arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in the Betway Premiership, and they delivered when it mattered most to keep their hopes of lifting silverware alive.

Chiefs started the match positively but found themselves trailing in the 11th minute when Siyabonga Ndebele opened the scoring for Siwelele with a powerful header following a corner kick.

Despite conceding early, the Phefeni Glamour Boys continued pushing forward in search of an equaliser. Their efforts earned them a penalty in the 35th minute after Vincent Pule fouled Mfundo Vilakazi inside the box.

However, Chiefs failed to capitalise on the opportunity as Mduduzi Shabalala sent his penalty attempt over the crossbar.

The missed penalty did little to disrupt Amakhosi’s attacking momentum, and they continued to apply pressure. Their persistence earned them another spot-kick on the stroke of half-time after Ndebele brought down Shabalala inside the penalty area.

This time, Wandile Duba stepped up and made no mistake, beating goalkeeper Jody February with a right-footed effort down the middle to restore parity and send both teams into the break level at 1-1.

Chiefs resumed the second half with the same attacking intent and nearly took the lead in the 55th minute, but Pule Mmodi’s effort from inside the penalty area went wide.

Amakhosi continued searching for the winning goal and created another opportunity in the 70th minute when Rushwin Dortley delivered a long ball into Siwelele’s six-yard box. The delivery found Duba, whose header was kept out by goalkeeper Jody February.

As the match approached its closing stages, Chiefs maintained their pressure and eventually found the breakthrough in the 84th minute following a defensive error from Siwelele.

Substitute Flavio Da Silva capitalised on the loose ball before playing a through pass into the path of fellow substitute Asanele Velebayi, who made no mistake with a right-footed finish from inside the box to put Amakhosi 2-1 ahead.

Both Da Silva and Velebayi had been introduced from the bench, and their contributions proved decisive as Chiefs completed their comeback.

Amakhosi continued pushing for another goal in the closing stages, but the score remained unchanged as they secured a 2-1 victory and booked their place in the Carling Knockout Cup semi-finals.

The victory also marked the second time Chiefs have beaten Siwelele this season, having previously recorded a 3-2 win in their Betway Premiership encounter earlier in September.

Chiefs will now turn their attention to the Carling Knockout semi-final draw, which is scheduled to take place after Sunday’s matches, as they await confirmation of their next opponents.