Captain Maart on target as Kaizer Chiefs dispatch Pirates to capture Nedbank Cup

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Yusuf Maart. Photo: Kaizer Chiefs/Facebook

Kaizer Chiefs upstaged Soweto Derby rivals Orlando Pirates to win South Africa's Nedbank Cup on Saturday with a 2-1 victory in the final played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

AmaKhosi captain Yusuf Maart volleyed in a cross from Ashley Du Preez to give Chiefs the crucial match winning goal in the 80th minute. In another tight Soweto Derby, Chiefs looked more dangerous in the second half and were rewarded for their superior play in transition.

Struggling in the middle of the table of South Africa's top flight Betway Premiership, Chiefs did not look like the team that has failed to win their last seven league matches. Saturday saw Nasreddine Nabi's side show how a cup run can bring out an entirely different team.

AmaKhosi took the lead in the 10th minute with Gaston Sirino's penalty kick after Pirates defender Deano van Rooyen was controversially whistled for a foul in the box on Chiefs forward Pule Mmodi. The contact was light but Uruguayan playmaker Sirino showed no guilt as he fired past Bucs keeper Sipho Chaine.

Pirates responded within ten minutes when Deon Hotto's excellent free kick service found Evidence Makgopa, the striker towering at the far post to head past Brandon Petersen in the Kaizer Chiefs goal.

But Pirates failed to pose much of a threat in the second half and the pressure slowly grew as Chiefs looked more and more dangerous with their speed on the counter-attack. The dam finally broke for the Buccaneers in the 80th minute when Chiefs got out on a 3-v-3 break.

It appeared that the attack died down when Du Preez was forced to track down a poor pass but the forward created space on the right wing and crossed to find the late run of Maart, whose strike was perfect from the edge of the penalty area are to give AmaKhosi the trophy.

Chiefs win South Africa's top cup competition for the 14th time in their history and the first since the 2012-13 season. They had secured qualification for next season's CAF Confederation Cup but after two one-goal defeats to their eternal rivals, coach Nabi and his AmaKhosi side have an achievement to claim at the end of the season.

As for Pirates who are second place in the league, they have little time to rest before returning to Betway Premiership action on Tuesday at home against Golden Arrows. Sekhukhune United are up next for Chiefs who return to the pitch next Saturday for league play.