Kaizer Chiefs’ push for a stronger finish in the Betway Premiership took another hit on Saturday as they were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by a resilient Chippa United side at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Despite coming off a morale-boosting Nedbank Cup triumph over Mamelodi Sundowns just a week ago, Amakhosi were unable to replicate that energy in the league.
The result marks a second straight league draw for Chiefs, following their 1-1 result against TS Galaxy before the international break.
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The Glamour Boys lacked cutting edge in the final third, and while they controlled large spells of possession, they struggled to break down a disciplined Chippa defense. With just five matches remaining, Chiefs remain stuck in eighth place with 31 points from 25 games—leaving little room for error if they hope to secure a top-eight finish.
Meanwhile, the Chilli Boys continued their solid run of form, extending their unbeaten streak to four matches (two wins and two draws). The point sees them climb to ninth on the log with 30 points from 23 outings, just one point behind Chiefs but with two games in hand—putting them in a strong position to leapfrog their Soweto rivals in the coming weeks.
Chippa could have easily taken the lead in the 29th minute when Sirgio Kammies was played through on goal, but the midfielder was too slow to pull the trigger, allowing the Chiefs defence to recover.
Amakhosi also had a chance to break the deadlock a few minutes later when a well-placed cross from Bradley Cross found Tashreeq Morris in the box, but his header went over the bar.
Wandile Duba followed up with another header, this time saved by Chippa goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
Just before half-time, a defensive lapse by Dillan Solomons saw him misplace a pass directly to Craig Martin, who found himself in a promising position, but his shot went wide.
In the second half, Chiefs pushed more bodies forward in search of an opener. Pule Mmodi was active down the left flank, delivering crosses into the box, but poor finishing let them down.
Chippa, meanwhile, also looked dangerous. In the 64th minute, Giovanni Philander unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box, which Bruce Bvuma managed to parry away, conceding a corner.
At the other end, Mmodi had a golden opportunity to give Amakhosi the lead after being played through on goal, but Nwabali was quick off his line to block the effort.
As the match wore on, both sides created half-chances, the most notable being Kammies’ well-struck shot that was brilliantly saved by Bvuma, ensuring the points were shared. With both sides still in the hunt for a top-eight finish, the race is far from over—but for Chiefs, the pressure is mounting.