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Middendorp reveals Maritzburg United’s advantage over Kaizer Chiefs
In seven matches against the Glamour Boys in his career, Judas Moseamedi has netted six goals and created one assist
Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp added salt into Kaizer Chiefs’ wounds when his Maritzburg United side beat Amakhosi 2-0 in a league match at the FNB Stadium on Saturday evening.
A second-half brace from Judas Moseamedi, who seems to love scoring against Chiefs, left Amakhosi perched precariously just one point above the relegation zone and with just one win in nine league matches this season.
For Middendorp, it was his first match back at the FNB Stadium since he left Amakhosi at the end of a 2019-20 campaign which ended with the Glamour Boys conceding the league title to Mamelodi Sundowns in heartbreaking fashion on the final day of the season.
It was only last weekend that Maritzburg recorded their first win of 2020/ 21, 2-1 against Bloemfontein Celtic.
Chiefs had not been in action domestically this year but were away in Angola for a Caf Champions League tie on Tuesday. Middendorp felt it was the Amakhosi players’ travel-weary legs which gave his team the upper hand in Soweto.
"We had a full week to prepare. This is a little bit of a handicap of a team travelling to Angola, not really having recovered. I could see it already in the begging to be very honest,” the German told SuperSport TV after the game.
“But this is part of the business. If you want to be an international side...it came to our advantage. The freshness I could see on the [Chiefs] side was not there.”
A tactical switch as well as an injury to Khama Billiat three minutes after the break had the net result of the visitors getting stronger the longer the match went on.
It culminated in Moseamedi scoring with a well-taken header in the 66th minute before adding a gem of a goal 13 minutes later as he controlled a long throw-in into the box and fired home a left-footed volley from the tightest of angles.
“Of course we had to adjust in half time, we had some problems with Khama [Billiat], no doubt about it,” Middendorp explained.
“But I think more and more we felt more comfortable. And good, we have the difference - we can make out of three or four chances, two goals.
“I don’t know how Judas scored [the second] goal, it was fantastic, outstanding. But this is his quality. Compliments to the entire team, it was absolutely fantastic fighting spirit.”
