Latest news with #Kotoko
The Citizen
14 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
New season, same old Kaizer Chiefs?
The overall feeling has to be that Chiefs have failed to resolve their scoring problem. Kaizer Chiefs rolled up to the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday for the Toyota Cup, and proceeded to prove that old habits die hard. ALSO READ: Rayners questions PSL award snub Failing to take their chances has been a problem that has beset Chiefs for the best part of the last decade. Chiefs' creation argument It was a problem that Nasreddine Nabi and his staff at times tried to turn into a positive last season, as Chiefs laboured to a ninth place finish in the Betway Premiership. Their claim was that Chiefs were creating more than most sides, the implication of which was that at some point the law of averages suggested they would start banging the goals in. It didn't really happen, however, and again on Saturday against Ghana's Asante Kotoko, Chiefs showed that they appear to have an aversion to hitting the back of the net. Flavio Silva, their new Portuguese striker, has had a difficult pre-season. He has already been dismissed by some impatient Chiefs supporters, Amakhosi perhaps paying a price for broadcasting their pre-season friendlies in the Netherlands. Against Kotoko, Silva was again fairly anonymous, and was replaced by Wandile Duba in the second half. The nature of pre-season friendlies means this may well have been planned before the match, but Duba certainly made more of an impact, clattering the bar with one long-range effort. Spot kick misery Still, Chiefs just couldn't score, even when they were awarded a soft penalty with about five minutes on the clock. New club captain Inacio Miguel stepped up, but missed the target. Miguel also went on to have the deciding penalty in the shootout saved by Kotoko 'keeper Mohamed Camara. Chiefs, indeed, only managed to score with two of their six penalties in the shootout. Sure, this was a far better performance than last year's 4-0 Toyota Cup loss to Young Africans of Tunisia. Chiefs certainly defended well, bar one lapse that gave Kotoko's Kwame Opoku a free header from a corner in the first half. ALSO READ: Pirates poke fun at Chiefs over MTN8 failure But the overall feeling just a couple of weeks ahead of the new Premiership season has to be that Chiefs have failed to resolve their scoring problem. And that has to be worrying for Nabi and company.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Pirates poke fun at Chiefs over MTN8 failure
Pirates release a cartoon mocking Chiefs for not qualifying for the MTN8. Orlando Pirates have started the banter ahead of the 2025/26 Premier Soccer League season, releasing a video taking aim at Kaizer Chiefs for not qualifying for the MTN8. ALSO READ: Chiefs' Nabi remains positive despite Toyota Cup loss 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 We are now less than a week away from the start of the 2025/26 season. Let the games begin! ⚫⚪🔴⭐#OrlandoPirates#OnceAlways — Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) July 28, 2025 In the video, an Amakhosi player arrives at the airport brandishing a Nedbank Cup winners, and strides confidently past a queue of MTN8 qualifiers. However, he is stopped by a customs official, who points out that there is priority boarding for the sides playing in the MTN8. Chiefs' embarrassment Chiefs finished 9th in the Betway Premiership last season, meaning they failed to qualify for the MTN8 for the second season in a row. The PSL season will kick off this weekend with the MTN8 quarterfinals. Amakhosi did beat Orlando Pirates 2-1 in the Nedbank Cup final to win their first trophy in a decade, and it remains to be seen if Kaizer Chiefs' own media team hits back in the coming days. A mixed pre-season Chiefs have had a mixed pre-season, and lost the Toyota Cup for the second season in a row on Saturday, going down 3-2 on penalties to Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko. ALSO READ: Chiefs pay the penalty as Kotoko win Toyota Cup Pirates will play Polokwane City on Saturday at Orlando Stadium in their MTN8 quarterfinal.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Chiefs' Nabi remains positive despite Toyota Cup loss
'We had opportunities to win the game during the 90 minutes, and during the penalties, but we missed them,' said the Chiefs head coach. Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi watched his side lose on penalties to Asante Kotoko in the Toyota Cup in Durban on Saturday. P{cture: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi remains positive Kaizer Chiefs are on the right path, despite defeat in the Toyota Cup to Asante Kotoko on Saturday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Chiefs miss chances Kotoko beat Chiefs 3-2 in a penalty shootout after the game finished goalless, with Amakhosi guilty of wasting many opportunities to put the game to bed in 90 minutes. ALSO READ: Chiefs pay the penalty as Kotoko win Toyota Cup Their best chance came a few minutes before the end of the match, captain Inacio Miguel missing after Chiefs were awarded a controversial penalty. After a chaotic penalty shootout, it was the unfortunate Miguel whose penalty was saved by Kotoko 'keeper Mohamed Camara to seal victory for the visitors. 'I think it was a game that was very instructive,' Nabi told SABC Sport. 'We came up with a lot of answers in terms of what we have been doing (in pre-season) and what we need to do going forward. It was a positive performance overall. 'We had opportunities to win the game during the 90 minutes, and during the penalties, but we missed them. We wanted to offer our supporters victory and finish the day with joy. But penalties are unpredictable.' Chiefs certainly gave an improved display on Saturday compared to their 4-0 hammering in the Toyota Cup by Tanzanian side Young Africans last year. Following on from a pre-season in the Netherlands, they may well have been taken aback by a poor, bumpy surface in Durban, especially compared to the smooth pitches they played on in Europe. Even with this situation, Chiefs still put up a decent showing, especially in the second half, when they really should have seen off Kotoko with the opportunities they created. 'The right direction' 'I am very positive we are going in the right direction,' added Nabi, whose side will play their first Betway Premiership match of the new season against Stellenbosch on August 10. ALSO READ: Portsmouth snap up Bafana midfielder 'We have done the physical work. Now we are in the last two weeks of the pre-season. We know our negative points. It is very important for us to look where the problems are honestly, and at where the quality is. We can then push to improve the quality and correct the negative points.'
IOL News
3 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Toyota Cup heartbreak for Chiefs in penalty defeat to Kotoko
KAIZER Chiefs midfielders Thabo Cele and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo compete with Emmanuel Antwi of Asante Kotoko during 2025 Toyota Cup match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. | BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Kaizer Chiefs closed off their pre-season with a 3-2 penalty shootout defeat to Ghanaian powerhouse Asante Kotoko in the Toyota Cup at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday evening. It was a frustrating end to a match in which Amakhosi dominated large spells but failed to convert their superiority into goals, eventually succumbing in front of a capacity crowd in Durban—one of the club's spiritual homes. The encounter ended goalless in regulation time despite promising signs, especially in the first half where Chiefs controlled proceedings. New recruits Nkanyiso Shinga, Thabiso Monyane and Flavio Silva were handed starts, with expectations high ahead of the new Betway Premiership campaign. Midfield maestro Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, trusted by coach Nasreddine Nabi, ran the show alongside Thabo Cele as Chiefs zipped the ball around with confidence. However, the lack of a cutting edge upfront kept Kotoko in the contest. After the break, Nabi introduced Pule Mmodi, Mduduzi Shabalala and Wandile Duba in place of Cele, Mfundo Vilakazi and Silva. Mmodi immediately added spark to the attack, gliding past his marker before teeing up Glody Lilepo, whose poor first touch saw the chance vanish. Chiefs appeared destined for a late winner when Mmodi was brought down inside the box in the 84th minute, earning a penalty. But defender Inacio Miguel sent his effort wide, leaving the thousands in attendance stunned. With the match deadlocked at 0-0 after 90 minutes, penalties were needed to settle the tie. Chiefs missed three of their five spot kicks, and Kotoko made no mistake in capitalising. The result, though not disastrous, is a reminder that while Chiefs may be showing signs of progress, sharpness in front of goal remains a work in progress heading into the new season. Reflecting on the encounter after the game, Chiefs head coach Nabi Nasdreddine presented a positive figure in front of the media following what he described as a performance to be pleased about despite the conclusion. "It's true we had opportunities to win the game in the 90 minutes and as well as the penalty shootout and we didn't and that's why we suffered defeat but in a general sense, I was very pleased with the performance," he said. "We have another two weeks that we need to take full advantage off and thats exactly what we're going to do." Amakhosi have lost five out of their six pre-season encounters following their tour of the Netherlands and have scored just two goals in the process with their forwards yet to find their footing in front of goal. Nabi waved away any concerns around these facts as he looked to focus more on his side's preparation rather than the final results. "It's friendly games, we're not going to comment much about friendly games." Kotoko is one of the sides Chiefs may encounter in the CAF Confederation Cup this season following their triumph in the Nedbank Cup. Comment on the challenge of the visitors, Nabi appreciated receiving first-hand experience of that level at this early stage of the season. "Everyone on the continent knows what Asante Kotoko represent and what they're about so we really appreciate the competition they've given us today and it will help us in our progression."
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Chiefs pay the penalty as Kotoko win Toyota Cup
Skipper Inacio Miguel misses two spot kicks for Chiefs. Mohammed Camara looks on as Kaizer Chiefs captain Inacio Miguel's penalty in normal time flies wide. Camara then saved a Miguel penalty in the shootout to win the Toyota Cup for Asante Kotoko. Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix Kaizer Chiefs displayed familiar failings on Saturday as they were beaten 3-2 on penalties by Asante Kotoko at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, losing the Toyota Cup for the second season in a row. Mohamed Camara saved Inacio Miguel's spot kick to win the game for the Ghanaian giants, at the end of a chaotic shootout that saw Chiefs miss four penalties to Kotoko's three. It was a horrible moment for the Chiefs captain, who also failed to score from the spot in the latter stages of normal time. Chiefs put up an impressive second half performance, but were as wasteful in front of goal as they were in the whole of the 2024/25 Betway Premiership campaign. If this defeat was far less embarrassing than the 4-0 hammering from Young Africans in the first Toyota Cup a year ago, it still left plenty for Nasreddine Nabi and his coaching staff to ponder. ALSO READ: Lorch edging closer to Sundowns exit A bumpy surface in Durban hardly encouraged slick passing football and both sides struggled to get going, with sand flying up from the pitch with every challenge. New Chiefs signings Nabi started the game with three of his new signings. Nkanyiso Shinga and Thabiso Monyane occupied the full back positions, while Portuguese striker Flavio Da Silva was in attack alongside Chiefs youngster Mfundo Vilakazi and DR Congo winger Glody Lilepo. Lilepo hit an effort from long range in the 13th minute, but despite the ball bouncing just in front of Kotoko 'keeper Mohamed Kamara, he gathered easily. A minute later, Shinga fouled Hilary Adabo on the edge of the box. Emmanuel Antwi sent in a dangerous free kick, and an unmarked Kwame Opoku headed on target but Brandon Peterson tipped over. Set pieces looked like they might be the best chance for both sides to hit the back of the net. In the 27th minute, Chiefs won a free kick, and Da Silva rose highest to meet it, but headed wide. Vilakazi then went close from another dead ball situation, curling just wide from about 25 metres out. In the 36th minute, Chiefs did manage to put some neat passes together on the edge of the Kotoko box, with Lilepo eventually smashing a shot over the bar. Half time changes Nabi made three changes at the break, Mduduzi Shabalala replacing Cele, Wandile Duba coming on for Da Silva and Pule Mmodi replacing Vilakazi. In. the 54th minute, Chiefs put together another good move and the ball fell to Lilepo inside the box, but he took too long to shoot and the danger was cleared. In the 57th minute, Duba came within inches of giving Chiefs the lead. Amakhosi's young attacker put the ball through the legs of his marker and smashed in a fine shot that clattered back off the bar. Kotoko almost shot themselves in the foot in the 67th minute as a Shabalala free kick was sent loopingh towards his own net by Dayda Saaka, but Henry Ansu was on hand to head clear. Glorious chance wasted Just as the game seemed to be drifting towards a penalty shootout, Mmodi went down in the box, and the referee pointed to the spot. Kotoko's players were unimpressed and the contact on Mmodi from Ansu did look insignificant. ALSO READ: No complaints from Ellis after Banyana defeat In the end it didn't matter as Miguel couldn't hit the target, the ball flying wide of Camara's right hand post. The Amakhosi skipper missed another wonderful chance with a weak header in stoppage time, and his misery was complete as Camara dived to his left to stop a pedestrian penalty in the shootout.
