Chiefs took the lead in the 21st minute when Knowledge Musona managed to beat the Cosmos offside trap before running onto an Nkhosinathi Nhleko pass to knock the ball past Avril Phali. Cosmos drew level in the most emphatic way as Thapelo Tshilo superbly drove home a free kick in the 45th minute to level the scores.

Siphiwe Tshabalala put Chiefs ahead again when he knocked Abia Nale’s pass home. Cosmos equalised for a second time when Siza Dlamini hit the ball home from close range in second-half injury time.

Cosmos began the game looking confident and assured when attacking and defending. It was them who looked the more likely team to score early on, and should have when Sekou Camara launched them on a counter-attack after 10 minutes.

He did not pass the ball quickly enough to Ayo Oluwafemi when into the Chiefs 18-yard area and lost the ball, which eventually made its way to Thabiso Hlalele, who cracked the ball towards goal and forced Bartman into making a superb acrobatic save.

The home team were in need of a way into the game and almost got a lucky break in the 17th minute as Nhleko was upended by Cosmos defender Tshilo and from the resulting free kick, Knowledge Musona was able to swerve the ball round the Cosmos wall, but it hit the crossbar.

Chiefs then took the lead shortly afterwards and it came in the 21st minute, Nhleko lobbed the ball over the Cosmos defence and set Musona on his way to goal, who timed his run perfectly to remain on-side and then finished off the move by curling the ball round Phali to give Chiefs the lead.

As halftime approached, Cosmos worked hard for an equaliser. The visitors were rewarded for their probing and found themselves level in the most spectacular manner. Cosmos played a short free kick from 22 yards out from goal to Tshilo, who drove the moving ball hard and powerfully past the stoic Chiefs wall and the diving Bartman, to level the scores.

In the second half it was Cosmos who were on the back foot but after absorbing the Chiefs pressure, the away team came close to taking a surprise lead in the 64th minute. Gabarone’s cross from the right was not dealt with by Tau and Oluwafemi managed to retrieve the ball and played it back to Bamuza Sono, whose shot at goal was spilled by Bartman. The ball fell to Smith and he hit it wide of the mark.

The Amakhosi found themselves back in front in the 67th minute. Nale stormed down the right wing and squared the ball towards Tshabalala in the Cosmos 18-yard area, who brought it under control and drove a low and hard shot past Phali and over the line to see Chiefs take the lead for the second time.

After the game was stopped in the 76th minute as a result of heavy rain and lightning for around five minutes, Chiefs looked to be headed for their first home win over Cosmos for more than six years.

For the second time in the match Cosmos found an equaliser. Chiefs failed to a clear a corner from the right and Tshilo’s deflected header fell to Dlamini, who toe-poked the ball home from close range.

The Chiefs players protested that Tshilo had hit the ball with his hands but their complaints fell on deaf ears and the goal stood, both teams having to settle for a draw.

Kaizer Chiefs (1) 2 (Musona 21’, Tshabalala 67’)
Jomo Cosmos (1) 2 (Tshilo 45’, Dlamini 90+1)

Chiefs (4-4-2): Bartman; Tau, Sweswe, Rooi, Jambo; Nengomasha, Letsholonyane, Tshabalala (Yende 81’), Nale; Musona, Nhleko (Dladla 71’)

Cosmos (4-4-2): Phali; Tshilo, Berthe, Gacousso, Hlalele (Gaberone 46’); Samb, Sono, Oluwafemi, Keanogepfe (Dlamini 76’); Camara (Smith 53’), Moloto

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