Kaizer Chiefs 3-2 Golden Arrows: Manyama hat-trick rescues Amakhosi

Three goals from Lebogang Manyama at FNB Stadium on Wednesday evening secured Kaizer Chiefs a 3-2 league win over a Golden Arrows side who pushed the hosts all the way.

Arrows had scored first through Michael Gumede in the 21st minute before Lebogang Manyama equalised 10 minutes later. And after the Durban team had regained the lead through an Erick Mathoho own goal on the hour mark, Manyama came to the fore with two more goals to seal victory.

The visiting team had started the game the stronger side and Amakhosi keeper Bruce Bvuma was kept busy early on with a couple of saves.

And it was Abafana bes’Thende who were to draw first blood, on 20 minutes, when Gumede broke through a couple of tackles, getting several fortunate rebounds before nodding the ball past Bvuma and into goal.

The Glamour Boys could have leveled matters a couple of minutes later after Arrows keeper Sifiso Mlungwana had dropped a cross, but neither Leonardo Castro nor Willard Katsande reacted sharply enough.

The Soweto side was however to score soon after – the equaliser came on 30 minutes as Katsande burst past two defenders before crossing for Manyama, whose finish lacked conviction but he did have enough on it to beat Mlungwana.

The hosts spurned a great chance to take the lead four minutes before halftime – when Arrows failed to clear a free-kick into their box, the ball fell to Mathoho, who played it across the six-yard box to pick out centre-back partner Daniel Cardoso, only for him to sky his shot over the goal.

Late on in the first half, the KwaZulu-Natal side had even better chances to score but they were spurned as Gumede headed over the bar with only Bvuma to beat, before Knox Mutizwa ballooned the ball over the crossbar from point-blank range, the hosts were exposed down the left side on both occasions.

Having survived those two moments, Chiefs nearly took the lead two minutes after the interval when Castro whipped in a great cross for Nurkovic, whose header bounced off the outside of the post.

Abafana bes’Thende were back in front in the 62nd minute when Mathoho netted a spectacular own goal while trying to head clear a Mutizwa free-kick into the box.

Fortunately for the home team, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo was to make a positive impact after coming on as a sub as he picked up the ball on the halfway line on 72 minutes before gliding past three defenders and then teeing up Manyama, who did well to dink a chip past the on-rushing Mlungwana.