It was yet another derby victory for goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi and Kaizer Chiefs as Keagan Dolly bagged a second-half brace to lead Amakhosi to a 2-1 win over Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Fresh from their home defeat to unbeaten Stellenbosch FC, Chiefs introduced Sibusiso Mabiliso in place of the injured Sifiso Hlanti while Pirates made three changes with Thabang Monare, Ntsako Makhubela, and Kwame Peprah coming in.
Despite going off injured in the previous game against Sekhukhune United, Nigerian defender Olisa Ndah made his debut in the famous fixture while Akpeyi made his eighth appearance in the derby.
After a series of blocks in the opening ten minutes of the game by Ndah, Amakhosi had a decent chance from a set-piece situation when Khama Billiat won a freekick close to the area in the 14th minute, but his curled effort went just over the bar.
After that, goalscoring opportunities were difficult to come by. Although it was Pirates who had more of the ball possession, Stuart Baxter’s men were resolute defensively by limiting the Buccaneers to little or no sniff of goal in the tactical battle.
On the stroke of halftime, Fortune Makaringe should have put Pirates in front when he got up nicely to meet Makhubela’s cross in the area, but he couldn’t direct his header on target and Chiefs breathe a sigh of relief as the first half came to an end.
Shortly after the restart, Thulani Hlatshwayo’s poor back pass was pounced on by Billiat and the Zimbabwean rolled the ball into the path of Dolly, who finished expertly into the bottom left corner.
With a goal ahead, Chiefs decided to sit back and wait for counter-attacks while Pirates added more urgency to their play and were desperately seeking for the leveler but they still could not create any clear goalscoring opportunity.
Ndah continued to help control things at the back for Pirates, while Akpeyi was not tested in the game’s opening hour.
In a bid to salvage something from the game, Pirates brought Terrence Dzvukamanja on for Abel Mabaso, while Bandile Shandu and Tshegofatso Mabasa replaced Deon Hotto and Kwame Peprah respectively.
However, it was Chiefs who should have gone 2-0 up in the 81st when Billiat raced through on goal but his attempted lob was saved by goalkeeper Siyabonga Mpontshane. And against the run of play, Pirates got their equalizer in the 87th minute through Linda Mntambo, who fired home a rebound, after Akpeyi made a meal of Dzvukamanja’s initial header.
In stoppage time, Ndah was adjudged by the referee to have impeded Billiat inside the box with a trailing hand after an aerial challenge, and Dolly stepped up to coolly convert the spot-kick to secure another derby win for Amakhosi.
