Richards Bay dump Kaizer Chiefs out of Nedbank Cup

It’s happened again! Kaizer Chiefs have been knocked out of the Nedbank Cup by a lower division side, after GladAfrica Championship campaigners Richards Bay hit them with a sucker punch and beat them 2-1 at FNB Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

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Amakhosi, who famously lost to TS Galaxy in the Nedbank Cup final a couple of years ago, had started well, and made their intentions clear from the first whistle and they camped in Richards Bay’s half.

They couldn’t, however, create any clear scoring chances with the Rich Boys standing firm at the back.

And just as such games go most of the time, the Rich Boys took the lead against the run of play when in the 29th minute Khanyisa Mayo sent in an inviting cross from a corner which Thabani Dube put in the back of the net.

Mayo was at it again in the 37th minute, swinging in a telling ball from a corner again, only this time he was trying to score directly, but Daniel Akpeyi managed to push it away.

Amakhosi thought they’d had a dream start to the second half when Samir Nurkovic had the ball in the back of the net in the 49th minute but he was ruled to have been offside.

Nurkovic – who was a constant nuisance to the visitors’ defence – then had his header saved on the line by Richards Bay keeper, Malcolm Jacobs.

Things got worse for the Naturena-based side when Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya earned his second booking for an unnecessary foul, and was sent off.

The Rich Boys continued to be a threat on the counter and came close in the 69th minute when Thabo Maphakisa sent in an inviting cross but Somila Nsimdwada misread it and it went sailing past the Chiefs goal.

Chiefs’ persistent attacking bore fruit in the 76th minute when Leonardo Castro showed commitment, and got a shot away even when he had fallen down and it beat Jacobs for the equaliser.

Lebogang Manyama should have given the home side the lead in the 80th minute, but he miscued his shot after being nicely setup by Castro inside the visitors’ box.

Castro also had a chance with a header from Dumisani Zuma’s floated ball, but he got under the ball and it went over.

And the Rich Boys hit Amakhosi with a sucker punch when Siyabonga Vilane score a minute into referee’s optional time.

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