At this rate the African dream could prove very hard to realise. Chiefs’ Caf Champions League campaign began more as a stutter than a sprint, Amakhosi needing a scrambled late goal by Tefu Mashamaite to rule supreme.
A last-minute win at home to a Rollers side they should ordinarily walk off the pitch is not the kind of result to send the likes of Raja Casablanca quaking in their boots. And their disjointed performance hardly supported their assertion that they are taking this competition more seriously this time.
Reneilwe Letsholonyane, often the catalyst of many a Chiefs victories this season and many before it, was so off-colour he hardly passed the ball to a teammate all match long to the extent he was booed by the fans who even called for his exit. Unsurprisingly, Stuart Baxter relented – taking the midfielder off for Siphelele Mthembu nine minutes from time.
And then Matthew Rusike, despite scoring the opener, contrived to confirm just why he has been a peripheral player since joining from Jomo Cosmos three years ago by wasting numerous chances.
Yet, while Chiefs were nothing like the side that are dominating the local league in that they are enjoying a 13-point lead at the top of the table, give credit to the visiting team who came and made a great contest of this preliminary round, first leg match.
Baxter’s men were up against a very polished side in the Botswana champions, Rollers hardly playing like a team on the road as they took their more revered opponents head on – their quick counter-attacking play creating all sorts of trouble for the Chiefs rearguard.
Their gung-ho approach suggests Chiefs will have it very hard in the second leg in Gaborone where Rollers will have the passionate backing of their home fans, a good number of whom were here last night. Yet, while they looked enterprising on the attack, Rollers were also pretty impressive defensively – especially in the second half when Chiefs tried for the winner, the visitors throwing themselves into tackles and keeping numbers behind the ball whenever Amakhosi came at them.
Getting a rare start, Rusike opened the scoring with a simple shot to the far post after being sent through by Bernard Parker.
The Zimbabwean striker could so easily have completed a first half hat-trick but his failure to use the chances provided good reason why he remains a peripheral player.
Twice he got into good scoring positions and on both occasions he displayed a lack of killer instinct and finishing prowess necessary for a striker who plays for one of the country’s top sides.
On 17 minutes, Rusike failed to beat goalkeeper Mwampole Masule when sent sailing on goal, the Rollers No1 leaving his line to push the ball off the Chiefs’ striker’s feet. Two minutes later, Rusike was again put through on goal, but instead of lobbing the advancing Masule he kept pushing forward only to have the ball taken away from him to the chagrin of his teammates and technical team.
Rollers’ eagerness to get going was quick to bear fruit, the visiting team equalising just two minutes after the restart through a good shot from inside the box by Segolame Boy, having broken a Chiefs attack by dispossessing Letsholonyane in midfield and going on to punish their hosts.
It looked like they’d stolen a good result but Tefu Mashamaite broke their hearts with the winner deep in injury time when he connected a Parker corner kick.
l Mamelodi Sundowns drew 1-1 with St Michel of the Seychelles yesterday.
FNB Stadium
Kaizer Chiefs (1) 2
Township Rollers (0) 1