Fans of Richards Bay and Kaizer Chiefs were left on the edges of their seats during their latest Betway Premiership assignment, as the two sides settled for a goal-laden 2-2 draw at the Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban on Wednesday night.
The game got off to the worst possible start for Kaizer Chiefs after Richards Bay profited from a Brandon Petersen howler inside the 18-yard-area in the eighth minute.
With the Soweto giants looking to play the ball out of the area, Petersen mistimed the trajectory of a back pass and was subsequently closed down by Nqaba Xulu, who got the last touch of the ball after the goalkeeper’s attempted clearance.
Chiefs applied much needed attacking pressure after conceding the first goal and were awarded a penalty in the 17th minute after Thembela Sikhakhane was penalised for handling the ball inside the box.
With Lebohang Maboe stepping up to the spot, the former Mamelodi Sundowns star finished with a right-footed shot into the top left corner.
Not holding back, the Natal Rich Bay retook the lead shortly before the break following a corner situation.
As the ball made its way into the box, Xulu found himself in the right area to guide home a header from close range.
Richards Bay came close to increasing their lead moments into the restart after Thulani Gumede summoned Petersen into action with a right-footed shot from outside the area.
The Natal Rich Boyz continued to put Chiefs under pressure with chances at the midway point of the second 45, while the likes of Maboe and Mfundo Vilakazi failed to make their long-range efforts count for the Glamour Boys.
Siphesihle Ndlovu brought Chiefs back into the game in the 77th minute after linking with Asanele Velebayi going forward, with the latter providing an accurate cut back pass from the left wing before Ndlovu rifled the ball home into the top corner.
Despite two late attempts by Faiz Abrahams at Ian Otieno in goal, Richards Bay managed to hold on and ward off the Soweto side’s pressure as the two clubs settled for a point in KwaMashu.
Richards Bay: (2) 2 (Xulu 8’, 39’)
Kaizer Chiefs: (1) 2 (Maboe 19’ P, Ndlovu 77’)
RICHARDS BAY: Otieno, Mcineka, Ndelu, Sikhakhane, Mabuya, Mntungwa, Nashixwa, Mthembu, Khumalo (Zikhali 81’), Gumede (Barns 73’), Xulu (Mahala 73’)
KAIZER CHIEFS: Petersen, Monyane (Solomons 51’), Kwinika, Miguel, Moloisane, Maboe, Ndlovu, Shabalala (Ighodaro 76’), Mmodi (Velebayi 76’), Vilakazi (Abrahams 67’), Baartman (Duba 67’)