Kaizer Chiefs vs AmaZulu delivered a pulsating yet exasperating 1-1 draw at FNB Stadium, a night that showcased Amakhosi’s creativity and their continuing struggle to finish. Interim co-head coach Khalil Ben Youssef praised his side’s performance, even as missed chances and a saved penalty left two more home league points behind.
Chiefs create, AmaZulu resist
From the opening minutes Chiefs were on the front foot, moving the ball crisply and finding gaps around the AmaZulu box. Darren Johnson, the visiting goalkeeper, produced an early save when Glody Lilepo broke in after slick interplay between Pule Mmodi and Khanyisa Mayo, a sign of the pressure that would define the half.
Then, against the run of play, AmaZulu struck first. Captain Riaan Hanamub found Andiswa Sithole inside the area, the wide man skated to the byline and delivered for Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya to nod home. It was a sharp sequence that punished a brief lapse, a reminder that Chiefs’ dominance means little without a ruthless edge.
Chiefs had a rapid chance to level when a cross hit Hanamub on the stomach and deflected onto his arm. The decision for a penalty drew fury from AmaZulu, and Johnson made sure justice felt served from their perspective, diving to his left to deny Lilepo in the 28th minute. That miss, the second straight league penalty squandered by Amakhosi, deepened the tension.
Relief finally arrived. Keegan Allen missed his challenge entirely, Mmodi seized the loose ball and released Mduduzi Shabalala, who curled a composed finish beyond Johnson. It was a sublime strike from Shabalala, a moment of calm precision within a frenetic contest.
One touch too many at the decisive moment
Just before the interval came the flashpoint everyone will remember. Mmodi beat Johnson and rolled a shot goalward, only for Mayo to tap the ball over the line from an offside position. With the original effort already heading in, the extra touch wiped out a likely lead. The incident summed up Chiefs’ night, the right ideas spoiled by a fraction of misjudgment.
The second half brought more of the same. Dillon Solomons flashed a shot past the post soon after the restart. Mayo worked himself room on the hour, but could not find the target. Lilepo had another opening in the 67th minute after an incisive pass from Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, yet again the finish was wayward.
AmaZulu nearly stole it late, a cross from substitute Athini Maqokolo creating a half chance that Hanamub smashed into the side netting. The visitors weathered heavy pressure, and when Chiefs were imprecise the men in green were composed enough to hold their line.
What the coach said
In the aftermath, Khalil Ben Youssef focused on the positives. The interim co-head coach highlighted the tempo, the volume of chances and the resilience after falling behind. He also did not shy away from the obvious, that the team is searching for a sharper edge in the final third.
“I am so happy with the performance of the players,” said Ben Youssef. “I think after a lot of games, every three days with the same squad, everyone saw how many chances we created. The Man-of-the-Match was the Amazulu keeper.”
“I said before we are struggling in the last third. Sometimes we have been unlucky and sometimes we miss chances. We have to work and keep going to find a solution.”
“In the first 30 minutes of the game we had a minimum of four chances. We conceded a goal. We lost our focus. We missed a penalty but we had a strong mindset and scored our first goal with Shabalala. Then we had the opportunity when Mayo touched the ball and was offside. I also thought in the second half we deserved to win.”
Ben Youssef pointed to a crucial stretch of training ahead. The next assignment is Stellenbosch in the last 16 of the Carling Knockout, followed by a two-week international break that he believes can be used to refine attacking details.
The numbers that tell the story
- This was the third consecutive Betway Premiership home match that Chiefs failed to win,
- it stretched a run of nine games in all competitions without scoring more than once,
- and it included a second successive league penalty miss as Lilepo joined Gaston Sirino on the list.
Those markers frame a team that is doing much right up to the penalty area. Chiefs moved AmaZulu around and generated high-quality looks, yet the scoreboard remains stubbornly low. The group has produced flashes of quality, however the lethal finish has not arrived often enough to change tight matches.
The human side of a split-second decision
Mayo’s offside touch will sting because it came from a place of instinct. The ball was trickling in, the urge to make sure overpowered the awareness of the line. The description of a rush of blood fits, a reflex that turned celebration into frustration. It will be a moment the forward relives, and one that can become a turning point if channelled into sharper composure.
There is accountability in the camp. Forward Wandile Duba, speaking before the match, admitted he did not start the season well and that he lost his place because he was not delivering goals. He noted that every coach needs a striker who scores, an honest assessment that mirrors the theme of the evening at FNB Stadium.
Usuthu’s resilience and a goalkeeper’s night
AmaZulu’s structure absorbed waves of pressure and allowed their attack to pounce in key moments. The combination of Hanamub, Sithole and Ngwenya for the opener showed speed of thought and execution. When Chiefs accelerated, the visitors closed spaces, trusted their keeper and defended the box with discipline.
Johnson’s display underlined that story. He saved a penalty and several other dangerous efforts, and his presence forced Chiefs to find perfection. When finishing form dips, opposition goalkeepers often look unbeatable. On this night, the Usuthu shot-stopper rose to the occasion.
A Naturena backdrop with coaching uncertainty
The performance unfolded amid an unusual backdrop at Naturena. Reports indicate that head coach Nasreddine Nabi, who missed the last three matches while dealing with a family matter, has rescinded his request to leave and wishes to continue. According to those accounts, his representatives arrived to discuss a termination, then informed Chiefs that Nabi wanted to stay, prompting the club to consider the new proposal.
Nabi’s contract runs to June next year, and the club previously confirmed discussions with the coach were ongoing. In the meantime, Cedric Kaze and Ben Youssef have overseen the team as caretaker co-coaches. That continuity in the short term has helped maintain structure, yet the finishing puzzle remains unsolved.
Where Chiefs go from here
Ben Youssef’s message is clear, keep the chance creation, polish the final touch. The team’s opening Betway Premiership win at Stellenbosch showed what happens when the early opportunities are taken. Every match since has delivered a single goal at most, a pattern that turns slim margins into shared points.
The Carling Knockout last 16 brings another look at Stellenbosch. It is an immediate test of lessons learned, followed by the international break that the technical team believes can reset confidence in front of goal. A penalty routine may be revisited, with the staff noting that both Lilepo and Sirino have strong records despite the last two league misses.
Key moments timeline
- 8 minutes, Mmodi and Mayo combine to release Lilepo, Johnson races out to save,
- 21 minutes, Hanamub finds Sithole who crosses for Ngwenya to head in,
- 28 minutes, penalty awarded for handball on Hanamub, Johnson saves Lilepo’s spot kick,
- 32 minutes, Mmodi pounces after a missed challenge and releases Shabalala who curls the equaliser,
- 38 minutes, Ngcobo forces Johnson into a save and Mmodi’s rebound is also stopped,
- 45 minutes, Mmodi beats Johnson but Mayo taps in from an offside position,
- 50 minutes, Solomons flashes a drive just wide,
- 60 minutes, Mayo works space on the edge but misses the target,
- 67 minutes, Lilepo is played in by Ngcobo yet cannot convert,
- 69 minutes, Maqokolo crosses and Hanamub hits the side netting.
A draw that feels like a lesson
There was plenty to admire, from Shabalala’s finish to the persistence shown after falling behind. There was also a clear message. Against compact opponents, the details in the box decide everything. One penalty, one touch, one extra heartbeat of composure, these are the margins.
If Chiefs keep building the same volume of chances, results tend to follow. The coaching staff see that path, the players hear it, and the schedule offers a chance to prove it quickly. AmaZulu took a point with guts and an inspired goalkeeper, while Chiefs left with the homework everyone can see, to turn pressure into goals and goals into wins.
