Kaizer Chiefs’ Hopes Shattered: Gallants Hand Glamour Boys Crushing 2-1 Defeat

Kaizer Chiefs’ difficult season took another hit as they dropped out of the Betway Premiership’s top eight following a 2-1 defeat to Marumo Gallants at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Chiefs Start Fast But Fall Apart

The Phefeni Glamour Boys made four changes to their line-up, reintroducing Happy Mashiane, Mduduzi Shabalala, Glody Lilepo, and Ashley Du Preez. Lilepo provided an early spark, cutting inside from the left and unleashing a superb strike into the top corner after just 10 minutes.

Despite the promising beginning, well-known defensive flaws reappeared. Due to the absence of important defenders Rushwin Dortley and Inacio Miguel, the Chiefs had openings that Gallants would finally take advantage of.

Gallants Show Resilience

Gallants, in good form with seven points from their previous three games, weathered the initial storm. They found the equalizer just before halftime when Matome Mathiane pounced on a rebound after Bruce Bvuma had parried Daniel Msendami’s shot.

In the second half, Chiefs pushed hard and nearly reclaimed the lead, but Wandile Duba’s effort struck the post. The miss proved costly as Msendami later sealed the victory for Gallants with a free-kick that evaded everyone and found the net.

Ouaddou Sets New Ambitions

After the win, Gallants’ coach Abdeslam Ouaddou praised his side’s character and confirmed a new goal: a top-half finish. With Gallants now reaching 30 points and extending their unbeaten run to five matches, they sit 11th, six points clear of the relegation playoff zone.

Meanwhile, Chiefs have now gone six league matches without a win and face arch-rivals Orlando Pirates next in a must-win Soweto Derby.