Cape Town City's pursuit of a vital first win in the PSL Promotion play-offs ended in frustration on Wednesday afternoon, as they played to a 1-1 draw against Casric Stars.
City coach shuffled his pack, bringing back experienced players like Thabo Nodada, Kayden Francis, Thamsanqa Mkhize, and Lorenzo Gordinho to the starting lineup after their previous draw with Orbit College, signaling a clear intent to secure a victory.
The match kicked off with Casric Stars applying immediate pressure, testing City's defense and forcing goalkeeper Darren Keet into an early, crucial save against Decide Chauke.
Keet demonstrated his sharp reflexes once more less than a minute later, reacting quickly to thwart another close-range effort from Chauke.
PRINS TJIUEZA’S OPENER FOR CT CITY
Having weathered this initial storm, City began to assert themselves and broke the deadlock midway through the first half. Prins Tijueza capitalised on a defensive lapse, sneaking into the box and rifling a shot into the top corner.
Undeterred, the home team pushed for a rapid response, and Chauke came close again with a powerful long-range shot, which Keet managed to get behind.
The second half saw the Citizens creating further attacking opportunities, with Jaedin Rhodes, Siphamandla Dondolo, and Haashim Domingo all involved in attempts to extend their lead, but they couldn't find the crucial second goal.
Joseph Mthombeni’s side maintained their offensive ambition, with Lebohang Lesako and Chauke constantly probing and unsettling the City defense.
In an attempt to regain full control as the clock wound down, City made a triple substitution, introducing Gabriel Amato, Cee-Jay Bezuidenhout, and Shakeel April.
Despite this, Casric Stars continued to pose problems, and Chauke almost scored again from an inventive angle, only for his shot to be cleared off the line.
The late heartbreak for City came in the final minute of stoppage time when Siphamandla Mlilo converted a penalty, awarded for a foul in the box, ensuring the points were shared and denying City a much-needed victory.
