Du Preez’ goal was offside, but Chiefs beating Sundowns is good for SA

KAIZER Chiefs gave it their all for nearly 90 minutes of their Nedbank Cup semi-final against Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria on Sunday evening.

- ASHFAK MOHAMED

But with the score at 1-1 at a packed Loftus Versfeld, it was almost inevitable that the Brazilians would find a way to get the winner, whether it was in stoppage time, or getting through the penalty shoot-out.

That is the Sundowns way. They are serial winners, kings of South African football, and well on their way to adding a second star on their jersey in the CAF Champions League, where they will face Al Ahly in the semi-final first leg in Pretoria on Saturday.

In contrast, Chiefs - despite being the most popular club in South African football - are ridiculed on the social media streets for their now-infamous trophy drought, which stretches back to the 2014-15 league title on Stuart Baxter's watch.

The Amakhosiare also languishing in eighth spot on the current Premiership log - not quite Manchester United proportions, but still unacceptable for a club of that stature.

So, when Ashley du Preez scored what turned out to be the winning goal after 88 minutes and 14 seconds oF the Sundowns clash, it changed the feeling around Kaizer Chiefs across South Africa. Suddenly, Phefeni Glamour Boys had earned instant respect.