Chiefs edge Sundowns to narrow gap

JOHANNESBURG — Kaizer Motaung headed the winner as Kaizer Chiefs edged leaders Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 Saturday in a South African Premiership top-of-the-table clash.Motaung, whose father is chairman and older brother is the manager of the most popular football club in the country, struck on 57 minutes at Soccer City by nodding a Siphiwe Tshabalala cross wide of goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands.Expensively assembled Sundowns clung to top spot in the richest African national championship with a 1.3-million-dollar first prize, but Chiefs narrowed the gap to a single point.The much-hyped fixture failed to match expectations before a 45,000 crowd that half filled the venue of the 2010 World Cup final won 1-0 by Spain against the Netherlands last July.Both sides were overly cautious and Zimbabwe-born leading league scorer Knowledge Musona did not have a chance until late in the first half when the Chiefs striker curled a shot wide.Sundowns should have had a penalty just before half-time as big-screen replays showed Tshabalala -- scorer of the first goal in the World Cup last year -- blocking a cross with an arm.Orlando Pirates snatched a stoppage-time 1-0 victory at defending champions SuperSport United through a Thulasizwe Mbuyane goal to remain third just two points behind Sundowns.Football fans disillusioned by the Soccer City fare were offered no respite at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria with the late tap-in of a Marks Mayambela cross preventing a tedious stalemate.Former South Africa goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez made his SuperSport debut after a festive-season transfer from German second-tier club Arminia Bielefeld and produced several acrobatic saves.Seeking a record fourth consecutive title, United slumped to third last on the table and were again guilty of squandering chances with Ethiopian striker Fikru Lemessa among the culprits.Ajax Cape Town rose to fourth, one point behind Pirates by coming from behind to win 2-1 at AmaZulu through goals from debutant Brent Carelse and France-born Derek Decamps after Nam

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