Chiefs down Pirates to clinch MTN8

Kaizer Chiefs were crowned 2014 MTN8 champions when they defeated bitter rivals Orlando Pirates 1-0 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday night.
Tefu Mashamaite scored the only goal of the match in the first half as Amakhosi avenged the loss they suffered at the hands of the Buccaneers in the final of the same competition in 2011.
Chiefs created the first opportunity of the match in the 10th minute when a cross from Tshepo Masilela found Mandla Masango in the centre of the box, but he rushed his volley straight at Senzo Meyiwa.
Four minutes later, Pirates failed to clear a free kick, allowing George Lebese to clip the ball across towards Kingston Nkhatha, who directed his header wide of the upright.
The Buccaneers came close to taking the lead in the 22nd minute as Kermit Erasmus sprung the offside trap before squaring the ball for Oupa Manyisa from the right, but the latter was denied by a good save from Brilliant Khuzwayo.
Nkhatha had another opportunity at the other end two minutes later when he leaped ahead of Siyabonga Sangweni to reach a cross from Masilela, only to send his header over the crossbar.
The deadlock was broken in the 28th minute when Mashamaite took advantage of poor marking from Pirates to head past Meyiwa from the edge of the six yard box, connecting with an inswinging free kick from George Maluleka.
Chiefs almost benefited from an error in the 35th minute as Meyiwa passed the ball straight to Lebese, who then played a cross into the box which Sangweni did well to clear with the goalkeeper not in position.

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The Buccaneers dominated possession at the start of the second half and came close to levelling matters in the 52nd minute when Erasmus drilled the ball in from the edge of the box, but Khuzwayo got down quickly to make the block.
The next big chance came in the 77th minute as substitute Lehlohonolo Majoro controlled a long ball on the left side of the box before firing a left-footed volley, which Khuzwayo did well to block at the near post.
Majoro came close again in the 84th minute as he collected a pass from Erasmus outside the box before firing a low shot which went across goal and narrowly wide of the far post.
Chiefs almost wrapped the game up at the other end a minute later as Bernard Parker skipped past his marker on the right side of the box before forcing a good save from Meyiwa.
Then in the 84th minute Manyisa found Erasmus outside the box, who then looked up before firing a low shot on goal, but Khuzwayo dived to his left to keep the ball out to secure a 1-0 win for his side.