Mduduzi Shabalala’s heroics helped Kaizer Chiefs come back from 2-0 down to snatch a point away from a resilient Magesi FC at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday.

The Peter Mokaba Stadium hosted two clubs with vastly distinct ambitions despite both sitting at the bottom half of the table. 

An Amakhosi looked to redeem themselves coming off the back of a second consecutive league defeat, while the Limpopo side was on a mission to slay another Soweto giant having recently defeated Orlando Pirates on the Carling Knockout Cup.

Magesi set the tone early in the match, demonstrating their intentions after finding an opener in the sixth minute.

A beautifully worked ball was sent wide and whipped into the box by John Mokone who located Wonderboy Makhubu inside the box. In between the Chiefs’ center backs, the 27-year-old forward rose the highest to carefully head it passed FiacreNtwari. 

It seemed the Polokwane side set themselves up for ample pressure by finding an early lead as Chiefs subsequently sent waves of attack. 

The Soweto Giants asserted further dominance as the game progressed, possessing an astounding 72% ball possession by the 30^th minute. 

Despite unsettling the Magesi defense on several occasions, Chiefs seemed to lack patience in the final third, sending long-range attempts that ceased to worry Elvis Chipezeze on goal. 

The Magesi goalkeeper was up on the mark, keeping out a wave of shots coming at him and helping the team go to halftime having held on to their 1-0 lead. 

Chiefs returned to the second half with two half-time substitutes. The head gaffer looked to add more ignition in the attacking front with Guston Sirino and Ashley Du Preez replacing Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Ranga Chivaviro. 

Continuing where they left off, the Glamour boys applied more pressure to the Magesi defense in chase of an early second-half equalizer. 

An opportunity that looked more difficult to miss than to score was squandered by right back, Bradley Cross as he found himself in the 18 area but heading the ball wide at the end of a pinpoint cross from Sirino. 

As Chiefs continued to look for answers, an introduction of fresh legs in the middle of the park saw captain Yusuf Maartwas replaced by Samkelo Zwane in the 62^nd minute. 

The 72^nd minute saw Dikwena extend their lead, shocking Chiefs who now had a bigger mountain to climb. Haunting his former club was Edmore Chirambandare who slotted home a well-executed direct free kick in the bottom right corner of Ntwari’s goal. 

With just five minutes having elapsed after Magesi found their second, Chiefs pulled one back with Shabalala’s wonderfully timed run from a Sirino through ball saw the 20-year-old slot it passed Chipezeze. 

Almost instantly, Shabalala brought the Stadium to its feat, finding an equalizer and his second just moments after his first in the 78^th minute. Coming off the back of a rebound, the academy graduate calmly smashed one through the bottom corner with an exquisite half-volley. 

A four-goal thriller, filled with spectacular goals, emotions, and everything in between finally came to its conclusion with the teams sharing the spoils.