Kaizer Chiefs once again fell short of securing three consecutive victories this season after a frustrating 0-0 draw against Cape Town City in the South African Premiership on Wednesday.
Following an impressive FA Cup quarter-final win over Stellenbosch last weekend, expectations were high for the Chiefs to continue their momentum against a struggling Cape Town City side, winless in their previous eight matches.
However, the closest the home team came to breaking the deadlock in Johannesburg was a curling second-half effort from Congolese forward Glody Lilepo, which rattled the crossbar.
In the first half, a defensive error by Cape Town’s Nathan Fasika gifted Mduduzi Shabalala a clear-cut chance, but he failed to convert from close range.
Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi expressed frustration over the missed opportunities.
“I have many regrets after this match because we should have won given the number of scoring chances,” said the Tunisian-born tactician.
“No Premiership match is easy, no matter the form of your opponents, and Cape Town often had 10 players just in front of their goalkeeper. However, we should have scored several times.”
Kaizer Chiefs, the most decorated club in South African football with 53 domestic titles, have not lifted a trophy since winning the league in 2015.
The draw keeps them in eighth place, 29 points behind runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who secured a 2-0 victory over AmaZulu on Tuesday, courtesy of goals from Namibian forward Peter Shalulile and Brazilian attacker Arthur Sales.
Sundowns, chasing their eighth consecutive league title, extended their lead to 18 points after second-placed Orlando Pirates were held to a goalless draw by 10-man Stellenbosch.
Kenyan defender Brian Mandela was sent off in the first half, leaving Stellenbosch to battle with a numerical disadvantage for nearly an hour.
On Sunday, Sundowns face Orlando Pirates away in a crucial fixture. A victory for the defending champions would all but seal another league title with seven matches to spare.
