An own goal by Goodman Mosele ensured that Kaizer Chiefs extended their unbeaten streak to five games after a 1-1 draw with Baroka FC in their DStv Premiership clash on Tuesday afternoon.
Gavin Hunt would have been pleased to welcome back Reeve Frosler back to his starting line-up with the right-back making hist first start since November 2020 as the only change to the team who drew with Stellenbosch over the weekend.
The Glamour Boys came into the clash looking for a fourth win in five games as they looked to start climbing the table, while Bakgaga, who started the game above Chiefs, would have been hoping to bounce back from defeat to AmaZulu at the weekend and start to show some consistency.
Straight from the onset it was clear that the game was going to be tight and hotly contested with neither side able to make any headway in the opening 10 minutes.
The first chance of the day though fell to Baroka through the man who denied Chiefs on the final day of last season, Kambala, he, however, failed to hit the target with his header at the far post.
Chiefs began to slowly find their feet and had their first sighter with 23 minutes gone when Lebogang Manyama's cross found Frosler entering the box at the far post, but the returning defender failed to hit the target.
Chances were proving difficult to come by for both teams and while Baroka had more possession, they failed to produce any end product with Chiefs quite comfortable out of possession as they looked to remain disciplined.
0-0 at the break with the game firmly in the balance.
It didn’t take long for things to heat up in the second half as the away side took the lead with 53 minutes gone. It was a long ball from Oscar Masuluke from the back which was flicked on by Evidence Makgopa, despite a challenge from Eric Mathoho, finding the marauding Masiya who steadied himself before calmly slotting past Daniel Akepyi.
Gavin Hunt responded by brining on striker Leonardo Castro for Mathoho, while Kearyn Baccus replaced Happy Mashiane in the midfield.
With a change in formation, Chiefs began to up the tempo as they went in search for the equaliser.
First Castro went close, but he was put off from his header after pressure from the defenders before the Colombian was denied by Masuluke as he attempted to chest in a Ncgobo cross.
Eventually the pressure paid off for the Glamour Boys as with 76 minutes gone the ball was played to Frosler down the right-flank, the defender whipped in a low hard cross which was inadvertently directed into his own net by the retreating Goodman Mosele.
Chiefs continued to throw men forward as they went in search for the winner and despite Castro, Nurkovic and Dumisani Zuma all have sniffs at goal, they couldn’t land a knockout blow and were forced to settle for a point.
