Solomons’ Late Strike Salvages Point For Chiefs Against Zamalek

Dillan Solomons once again proved his worth for Kaizer Chiefs, scoring a crucial equaliser in the 95th minute to earn his side a 1-1 draw against Egyptian giants Zamalek at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in the CAF Confederation Cup on Saturday.

Amakhosi came into the match seeking their first win after losing to Al Masry in Egypt in the opening game, but Zamalek’s early pressure paid off when Seifeddine Jaziri scored the opening goal within five minutes.

Despite dominating the first half, Chiefs were unable to find an equaliser, with Lebohang Maboe’s effort from outside the box flying wide in the 35th minute.

The Phefeni Glamour suffered a double blow when Bradley Cross and Gaston Sirino were replaced by Paseka Mako and Mfundo Vilakazi due to injuries.

The first half ended goalless for Chiefs, but Zamalek’s lead was confirmed at the start of the match.

In the second half, Chiefs upped their intensity, creating several scoring opportunities, but it was Zamalek who nearly doubled their lead in the 75th minute, only for goalkeeper Brandon Peterson to make a crucial save.

Three minutes later, Solomons had a chance to equalise, but his shot from inside the box went over the crossbar.

However, the young forward made amends in the dying minutes of the match, scoring a late equaliser in the 95th minute, a repeat of his heroics last weekend.

The draw sees Chiefs remain in third position with one point, while Zamalek move up to second with four points. In another Group D match, Al Masry beat ZESCO United 3-2 on Friday.

Both Chiefs and Zamalek will now take a break from the Confederation Cup for the AFCON 2025, which will be held in Morocco from December to January 2026.

Amakhosi will resume their campaign with an away match against ZESCO on January 25, while Zamalek will face Al Masry on the same day.