Kaizer Chiefs Make Quantum Leap

Kaizer Chiefs jumped from 10th to fifth place in the DStv Premiership with a 2-1 win over Swallows FC at Dobsonville Stadium on Wednesday night.

After a shaky start to the season, Arthur Zwane’s men are back in contention, and with a bit more consistency and bite, they may be able to upset the front runners.

For Swallows, it is a sense of déjà vu from last season where they fought relegation and survived via the playoffs. The grounded Birds are anchoring the league at the bottom.

Amakhosi were heavily criticised for missing a glut of chances against AmaZulu in their 0-0 MTN8 semifinals first leg at FNB Stadium on Sunday. But they regrouped and stamped their authority on the home side on Wednesday night.

In the first half, they walked all over a Swallows who were there for the taking.

Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana and Keagan Dolly were the talismans for Amakhosi. They scored the goals in the 35th minute and a minute into first-half injury time, though Chiefs are still wasting many opportunities. Waseem Isaacs pulled one back for Swallows in the 68th.

Amakhosi now have a -1 goal differential, and a few more goals from the two would have moved them closer to fourth-placed Orlando Pirates, who have 14 points but a +1 goal difference.

Despite misses from Bimenyimana and Dolly, Chiefs were the superior side in the early minutes.

Bimenyimana, a lanky Burundi international, opened the opener with a header into the far corner, leaving Swallows goalkeeper Sanele Tshabalala befuddled.

Dolly increased the tally with a sweet free-kick that also left Tshabalala seeing stars. At that stage, it looked like Swallows were there for a drubbing, but Chiefs eased the foot on the accelerator.

After the break, Chiefs went into a complete snooze and allowed the Dube Birds back into the game.

Swallows’ hard-working Isaacs’ diving header connected with a delicious Tshidiso Patjie cross and the ball flew past Itumeleng Khune and into the net.

Swallows’ confidence grew and they threw everything at Amakhosi. They created more anxious moments but it was too little too late and Chiefs grabbed the three points and went home.