Kaizer Chiefs have finally clinched their first win of their pre-season tour in the Netherlands, defeating PEC Zwolle 1-0 on Tuesday.
The crucial goal came from young forward Naledi Hlongwane, who netted in the 54th minute after coming off the bench.
This victory offers a much-needed morale boost for the Soweto giants, who had previously faced three consecutive defeats in their five-match tour.
The initial phase of the game saw PEC Zwolle dominate possession and create early chances, with one shot narrowly missing the target within the first 15 minutes.
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Amakhosi gradually found their rhythm. New signing Flavio Da Silva had an opportunity to open the scoring, but his effort sailed over the crossbar.
Chiefs continued to press after the halftime break, and their persistence paid off when Mduduzi Shabalala’s shot rebounded off the post, allowing substitute Hlongwane to pounce and slot home the decisive goal.
Head coach Nasreddine Nabi maintained his strategy of rotating the squad, making numerous changes to the starting XI, as he has done in previous matches, to ensure most players gained valuable game time.
Goalkeeper Brandon Peterson was instrumental in preserving Chiefs’ lead, making two crucial saves in the latter stages of the match.
While Mfundo Vilakazi had a chance to double the visitors’ advantage in the closing minutes, his shot was denied, but it didn’t prevent Chiefs from securing their first victory.