KAIZER CHIEFS (1) McCarthy 39’
GOLDEN ARROWS (0)
Kaizer Chiefs enjoyed the perfect belated birthday celebration on Tuesday night, beating Golden Arrows 1–0 in the Betway Premiership as the season resumed at FNB Stadium.
The victory propelled Chiefs to third in the standings, within a point of second-placed Orlando Pirates, while providing a significant morale boost ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup group-stage clash away to Zesco United on Sunday afternoon.
January is traditionally a month of celebration for Chiefs, marking the club’s anniversary. However, their fortunes in recent years have been such that they have struggled to honour the occasion, particularly at home.
At a chilly “Calabash”, Amakhosi — who turned 56 on January 7 — finally gave their supporters reason to smile in their first fixture of the new year. The Motaung family sought to amplify the festivities by inviting musician Tenza, composer of the club’s anthem, to entertain the crowd at half-time.
The evening was not without its hitches, however; several fans who braved the cold missed the opening exchanges due to technical issues with an e-hailing ticket service at the turnstiles. Those already inside the stadium witnessed a dominant start from the hosts. Lebohang Maboe, continuing his impressive return to the club where he spent his development years, dictated play in the “engine room”, allowing wingers Glody Lilepo and Pule Mmodi more time on the ball.
Despite their territorial dominance, Chiefs lacked a clinical edge in the final third, with Flavio Silva largely ineffective. Arrows, meanwhile, were content to sit back and play on the counter — a strategy that failed to yield results.
With clear-cut chances at a premium, Chiefs eventually found the breakthrough via a set-piece. Aden McCarthy reacted quickest to head home a loose ball after Arrows goalkeeper Thankasani Mbanjwa failed to clear Lilepo’s initial header to safety.
Jerome Karelse struck the upright for the visitors in the second half, but Chiefs held firm to secure the three points and mark the start of their birth month in style.
