Al Masry hit Chiefs with late sucker punch in Confed group opener

Al Masry defender Mohamed Hashem hit wasteful Kaizer Chiefs with a sucker punch, netting the winner in the 87th minute as the Egyptians beat Amakhosi 2-1 in their Caf Confederation Cup Group D opener at Suez Stadium on Sunday.

Hashem capitalised on Inacio Miguel’s error after the Amakhosi defender miscued the ball trying to clear off the line from a corner-kick.

Al Masry were quick to get out of the blocks and apply pressure at home. They created the first chance as early as the seventh minute when winger Abderrahim Deghmoum teed up striker Kingsley Eduwo, only for him to be denied by goalkeeper Brandon Petersen, smartly using his trailing leg to thwart the danger.

That chance proved to a wake-up call for Chiefs as they started to play with some confidence, knocking the ball around nicely, especially Thabo Cele and Mduduzi Shabalala in the engine room.

Right-back Dillan Solomons selfishly wasted a promising attack for Amakhosi in the ninth minute when he took a weak shot instead of passing to Godspower Ighodaro or Ashley du Preez, who were both in good positions.

Pule Mmodi was another Chiefs player who made a few incorrect decisions in the first half, delivering poorly-calculated crosses. As the first half progressed, the game started to be physical, but Liberian referee Washington Ndolo was lenient and didn’t give in as the Al Masry players resorted to pressurising the officials.

Indecisiveness and too many touches inside the box between Deghmoum and Eduwo in the 20th minute cost the hosts a good chance, with the latter ending up taking a shot that was brilliantly blocked by Bradley Cross.

Al Masry started the second half like a house on fire, forcing Petersen to make two quick saves within the first five minutes to deny Gilbert Mugisha and Deghmoum.

Chiefs’ keeper would finally be beaten from the spot when Mugisha calmly slotted home a penalty just a minute before the hour mark after referee Ndolo adjudged Petersen to have fouled Mounder Temine. The shot-stopper had raced off his line to intercept, only to miss the ball and bring the man down.

Chiefs brought on Mfundo Vilakazi and Asanele Velebayi for Du Preez and Mmodi a few minutes after conceding. The duo injected life into the Soweto giants’ play, with the former grabbing an assist for Solomons’ equaliser in the 66th.

Solomons skipped through a few defenders before he calmy beat Al Masry keeper Mahmoud Hamdy with a low strike.

Earlier on Sunday, Stellenbosch FC beat Congolese side AS Otohô 1-0, courtesy of Ashley Cupido’s stoppage-time strike, in their Confed Cup Group C opener at Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Sowetan