Kaizer Chiefs fight back to hold champions Sundowns to draw

Kaizer Chiefs kept their slim CAF hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with DStv Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns in Soweto on Sunday.

Aubrey Modiba opened the scoring for Sundowns at the FNB Stadium on 49 minutes before Phathutshedzo Nange levelled for Amakhosi.

Keagan Dolly could have wrapped up all three points for Chiefs, but he saw his 85th minute penalty saved.

It was a vastly improved display from Chiefs, who have endured a largely woeful season, and by the end they had pushed the best team in the country to their absolute limits. 

It will be an encouraging result for a fan base that has been left incredibly frustrated and disappointed in 2021/22. 

Both sides had their opportunities in the first half, but it was Sundowns dominating more and more as the game wore on.

They had to wait until the 49th minute for Modiba to hit the back of the net with a neat drive into the bottom-right corner of the net.

Khama Billiat was then inches away from finding an equaliser on 53 minutes but he saw his shot saved, as Lebohang Maboe fired over on 58 minutes.

Sundowns really should have put the game to bed, but Chiefs were back in the tie through Nange, who drilled an unstoppable shot past a despairing Reyaad Pieterse.

Bouyed by the goal, Chiefs went in search of a second and so nearly had their reward when Kgaogelo Sekgota drew a foul in the penalty area, only for Dolly to see his kick well saved by Pieterse.

Dolly was in again moments later, but was again denied, before a number of last gasp attempts from the home side.

Ultimately it wasn't to be though, with Chiefs settling for a draw that left them in fourth place on the league standings with 43 points form 28 games, two behind Royal AM and four adrift of Cape Town City in