Amakhosi now face Chilli Boys

Kaizer Chiefs’ attempt to halt a four-year trophyless run will be put to the test when Amakhosi travel to the Eastern Cape to face Chippa United in the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup.

Chiefs reached the semifinals after beating coach Benni McCarthy’s Cape Town City 2-0 at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Sunday afternoon.

Pule Ekstein scored in the 30th minute and Dumisani Zuma added the second early in the second half in a clever tactical performance by Chiefs, who dominated the quarterfinal tie and should have won by more.

Amakhosi will now face the Chilli Boys in Port Elizabeth while Golden Arrows will host Dan Malesela’s TS Galaxy in the other semifinal.

The dates of the semifinals will be announced at a later stage.

Chiefs, who have not won a trophy for almost four seasons now, also saw Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya strike the upright.

Chiefs made their intentions clear from early on when George Maluleka’s shot forced City goalkeeper Peter Leeuwenburg into a leaping save as he pushed the ball over his crossbar in only the fifth minute.

Khama Billiat had a shot saved just before the quarterhour mark before the goal came in the 30th minute.

Defender Edmilson Dove tried to cut inside with the ball and lost possession to Bernard Parker, who drove into the penalty box before squaring for Ekstein to put it away, with the help of a deflection.

City were on the back foot throughout the opening exchanges and only got their first effort on goal from Riyaad Norodien in the 32nd minute.

But it should have been 2-0 five minutes later when Billiat stole away from Edmilson but shot wildly over the top. Billiat then turned provider just another minute later with a square ball that Ntiya-Ntiya hit against the upright.

Ntiya-Ntiya, playing a forward role on the left, then set up Ekstein as City’s defence failed to clear a set-piece and the goalscorer blasted wide from close in.

Zukile Kewuti struck the woodwork with a header from Surprise Ralani’s cross soon after the break but Chiefs, anticipating City’s all-out attack, were ready to catch their guests on the counter.

It was thus that Parker burst away and earned a corner, from which Teenage Hadebe won a header and it fell perfectly for the unmarked Dumsani Zuma to score off his knee in the 56th minute.

Zuma had come on at the break for Ramahlwe Mphahlele as coach Ernst Middendorp shifted from five at the back to counter-attacking options.

The German had his tactics spot on throughout the encounter, with Chiefs holding firm at the back for one of their better performances of the season.