Chiefs Let Late Lead Slip in Pre-Season Match
Kaizer Chiefs’ latest pre-season outing delivered a familiar lesson: switch off once, and you pay for it.
In a match played behind closed doors, with details thin on the ground, what is clear is that Amakhosi were minutes away from a confidence-boosting win before a late lapse turned a 1–0 advantage into a 1–1 draw.
Etiosa Ighodaro, leading the line, struck first. His 77th-minute goal put Chiefs in front, a reward for the striker and a side still knitting together old heads and new faces. It was the kind of moment coaches crave in pre-season – a forward taking his chance, a team capitalising on a spell of pressure.
The real scrutiny, though, always comes in the final minutes.
With the clock ticking towards full time, Chiefs blinked. In the 89th minute, Findlay Curtis punished them, beating new signing Renaldo Leaner with a dipping effort that dropped into the far corner. One swing of a boot, one misjudged ball, and the win was gone.
For Leaner, it was a harsh welcome in Chiefs colours. For the team, a reminder that game management remains a work in progress.
Mixed Bag for New-Look Amakhosi
Arthur Zwane’s options were on full display. Chiefs started with Petersen in goal, the captain on the day, behind a back line of Monyane, Mako, Miguel, Msimango and Ndlovu. Maboe and Baartman anchored the middle, with Vilakazi, Chislett and Silva offering the attacking thrust.
That XI gave Chiefs structure and, eventually, the breakthrough via Ighodaro. But the second half became an extended audition.
Leaner, Pule Mmodi, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, Sibongiseni Mthethwa, Zitha Kwinika, Asanele Velebayi, Reeve Frosler and Kabelo Nkgwesa all got minutes after the break. It was less about rhythm, more about assessment: combinations tested, roles tweaked, fitness pushed.
The equaliser will sting, yet the broader picture is clear – this is a squad still being shaped, with competition for places already sharp.
Tougher Tests on the Horizon
There is no time to dwell. Chiefs’ next assignment comes on 15 July against Al Kholood, who finished 14th in last season’s Saudi Pro League. Different country, different style, a step up in intensity.
Three days later, on 18 July, Elche CF await. The Spanish side clung to LaLiga safety by a single point last season, and their survival instincts should provide a stern measure of where Amakhosi truly are.
A late goal has already cost them once this pre-season. The real question now is whether Chiefs turn that moment into a warning – or a habit.
