DURBAN, May 24 (Absa Premier League) – Thanda Royal Zulu have it all to do in the second leg of their relegation play-off semi-final tie against FC Cape Town after playing to a stalemate in Durban on Sunday.
Both sides created their fair share of chances at the SJ Smith Stadium, but a lack of cutting edged proved a telling factor as the game petered out to a draw.
The result means that the Amabhubesi will have to dig even deeper in the return leg against the First Division Coastal Stream runners-up side on Thursday in order to reverse their continuous downward slide from the Absa Premier League.
In what was a slow start to the game, both sides jostled for early procession on a poor pitch as the early signs pointed towards a battle of the midfielders.
Nkosinathi Nhleko and Clifford Mulenga both had chances in the opening 15 minutes, but fired their efforts from the edge of the penalty area over the cross-bar.
The first real chance finally came after 20 minutes when the Zambian frontman managed to breach the visitors’ defence, but his shot was wastefully pulled across the face of goal.
At the other end, Darren Dicks created his side’s first opening after being put through, but again the final execution was poor.
That proved the first of a few more first-half chances for Johnny Ferreira’s men, who saw Ashley Hartog put his shot into the side netting from six-yards out in what turned out to be the best opportunity of the opening period.
The next chance came just minutes before the whistle when a quick turn from Emmanuel Emenike saw his shot sail into the crowd as both sides went into the break at 0-0.
Mlungisi Ngubane’s half-time team talk, failed to inspire our boys after the break with the Cape side looking most likely to break the deadlock.
The best chance of the half came when Dicks sent in a free-kick for Francois Adams, but the defender failed to find the target wit his close-range effort as the gamed laboured to a draw.