Chiefs close in on Pirates and Sundowns after McCarthy’s contested goal sinks Arrows 

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Chiefs close in on Pirates and Sundowns after McCarthy’s contested goal sinks Arrows 

Kaizer Chiefs moved to third place on the PSL table following a hard-fought 1-0 win over Golden Arrows at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday.

Chiefs started 2026 in victorious fashion thanks to one of their own, defender Aden McCarthy, who headed home in the 39th minute, the game’s only goal.

Chiefs huffed and puffed in the first half with no real threat on the Arrows goal until late on when McCarthy scored.

Flavio Silva had Chiefs’ best opportunity in the first half when he tested Arrows goalkeeper Thakasani Mbanjwa from distance in the 29th minute and Amakhosi would wait for 10 minutes before breaking the deadlock.

Wasted chances from both sides

From a freekick taken by Thabiso Monyane, Silva headed towards goal with goalkeeper Mbanjwa punching it out but McCarthy was just nearby to head home the rebound from close range. There were shouts of offside from Arrows players but they fell on deaf ears as the goal stood.

Kaizeer Chiefs Pule Mmodi against Golden Arrows. Photo Kaizer Chiefs

In the second half, Siyanda Ndlovu had two of the best chances for Arrows, the first in the 60th minute when against the run of play, he missed from close range.

Nine minutes later, it was the turn of Chiefs to test the goalkeeper again with Mfundo Vilakazi dropping the shoulder before beating his marker to get a shot that was saved by Mbanjwa.

Where does victory leave Chiefs? 

Kaizer Chiefs striker Flavio Silva in action against Golden Arrows. Photo – Kaizer Chiefs

Chiefs’ DStv Diski Challenge captain Thulani Mabaso, who was recently promoted to the senior team, also came close to scoring when he unleashed a good shot that the Arrows goalkeeper struggled to hold onto.

Chiefs held on to collect maximum points as they started the year with a win, ending a run of four games without victory.

The win leaves Chiefs in third position with 27 points from 14 matches, two behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns who also have played 14, and just one behind second-placed Orlando Pirates, who have two games in hand. 

<!-- Author Start -->Joel Oliver<!-- Author End -->

Joel Oliver

Author

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.
His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.

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