Kaizer Chiefs Lead S’Africa’s League

Kaizer Chiefs went top of the South African Premiership table midweek with a 2-1 victory over Wits University.

It was the third consecutive win for the Soweto club since the season kicked off and came three days after the club chairman said they were overdue a title. Bloemfontein Celtic and Orlando Pirates, the other teams with perfect records after two rounds of the richest African national football league, lost away.

Pirates had former Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy sent off just before half-time and surrendered a lead to lose 2-1 against Maritzburg United. Celtic could not recover from conceding an early goal at Platinum Stars and finished 2-1 losers in north-west mining town Rustenburg.

Mamelodi Sundowns took advantage by dishing out a 4-0 drubbing to Moroka Swallows in Pretoria and climbing to second spot two points behind Chiefs. Free State Stars edged Jomo Cosmos 1-0 at home and two goals in as many minutes gave former champions SuperSport United a 2-1 win at AmaZulu. Stars and United have the same number of points as a Sundowns team coached by 1970s Dutch star Johan Neeskens, but trail on goal difference.

Golden Arrows are last after losing a bottom-of-the-table clash with Black Leopards 2-0 in northern city Polokwane. Cape Town club Santos and Cosmos, coached by South African football icon Jomo Sono, are also pointless.