By Vata Ngobeni
Kaizer Chiefs salvaged some silverware from a season almost gone horribly wrong when they were crowned champions of the lucrative Absa Cup beating Orlando Pirates 5-3 in a penalty shootout in a tantalising epic battle played at Absa Stadium on Saturday.
It took all of 120 minutes of football, five yellow cards, two red cards, a disallowed goal and penalties to eventually produce the biggest and most meaningful victory for Chiefs this season.
With the two teams deadlocked in a goalless draw at the end of the mandatory 90 minutes of play including the additional 30 minutes of extra-time, the difference was Chiefs stopper Rowen Fernandez who saved a penalty and booted in the winning penalty kick.
On the day, Chiefs proved tactically superior while Pirates ruled proceedings with their hard running and expansive game. While referee Ace Ngcobo had a busy day in the office, subduing tempers and allowing the game to flow freely, it was the vital 30 minutes of extra-time that produced the heart-stopping action as Pirates
tirelessly forged ahead only to be hindered by the hordes of Chiefs bodies.
Not even the two red cards which Ngcobo had dished out to Pirates defender Tonic Chabalala and Chiefs hardman Diteko Mototo could put clear daylight between the two sides who battled well into the Durban evening.
This cup final derby which has been simmering for the past 18 years - the last time the two giants met in a cup final was in 1988 - lived up to the tense and passion-filled encounters between these two great sides of South African football.
Persistent showers of rain made the task of the two glamour sides even more difficult.
In all the hype and festivities of the near capacity crowd, Pirates enthralled first with their fast paced all out attack.
But in an amateurish manner the goal-shy ghost of seasons past and present haunted the Pirates strike force of Siyabonga Nomvete and Collin Chabalala, who failed to make a meaningful impression in front of goal.
Assisted by their feisty right and left wings in Joseph Makhanya and Gift Leremi, respectively, Nomvete and Chabalala spurned a plethora of opportunities in the first half with their tame and wayward shooting.
Nomvete, though, came close to opening the Pirates account in the 10th minute when his powerfully struck shot hit the upright with Fernandez well beaten.
And when Nomvete had stuck the ball in the back of the net it was not done within the parameters of football laws as the nimble footed striker, Nomvete, latched onto a Gift Leremi rebound from an offside position.
Such was the dominance of Pirates in the first half that Chiefs never threatened and sought to absorb the energy sapping pressure their opposition was unsuccessfully churning out.
Also standing between Pirates and that all important goal was Fernandez who commanded his area with great aplomb as he persistently quashed the threatening Pirates corners.
In the second half, Chiefs tried to ignite their jittery game by meticulously trying to catch Pirates on the counter attack, but the Pirates defence stood firm.
And with time running out Pirates found an extra octane of strength when Mbele broke through in the 77th minute but was well tackled by a sliding Mototo with Fernandez under siege.
On the stroke of fulltime Pirates midfielder Isaac Chansa almost etched his name in the illustrious history of this great derby when his goal-bound long range shot was parried from the goal mouth by
Fernandez. In the end a season changing win for Chiefs but another disastrous season for a Pirates outfit that have the capabilities of winning every title on offer, on paper that is. - Sapa