A soft Daine Klate goal gave Wits a 1-0 midweek victory at Orlando Pirates and top place in the Absa Premiership table.
|||A soft Daine Klate goal gave Wits a 1-0 midweek victory at Orlando Pirates and top place in the Absa Premiership table.
The former Pirates winger floated a free kick into the heart of the goalmouth after 14 minutes and Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Felipe Ovono failed to hold the ball, which crept into the net.
Ovono, outstanding for his country when they hosted and finished fourth at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, earlier saved a penalty from Namibian Henrico Botes at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
Wits were reduced to 10 men during a dramatic opening half when a studs-up tackle by captain and centre-back Thulani Hlatshwayo led to a straight red card.
Hlatshwayo got a tongue lashing from Wits assistant coach and 1996 Cup of Nations-winning goalkeeper Andre Arendse for a foul that led to Sifiso Myeni being stretchered off.
But the club with the equal second best defensive record in the Premiership this season contained Pirates, who meet Etoile Sahel of Tunisia late November in the two-leg CAF Confederation Cup final.
Victory lifted unfashionable Johannesburg outfit Wits to 16 points, one more than Platinum Stars and Mpumalanga Black Aces.
Platinum from north-western mining town Rustenburg looked like retaining top place when they led Aces by two goals entering the final minute at Mbombela Stadium in north-east city Nelspruit.
But two goals within 60 seconds from Lebogang Manyama and Judas Moseamedi salvaged a draw for Aces and allowed Wits to leapfrog to the top.
Mamelodi Sundowns, champions a record six times, spoilt the homecoming of Bloemfontein Celtic to Seisa Ramabodu Stadium in the central city with a 1-0 victory.
Liberian Anthony Laffor struck the 70th-minute winner at a packed stadium, whose rebuilding meant Celtic spent nearly four years playing at the ground of Super Rugby side the Cheetahs.
Celtic are two points behind Wits and Sundowns are three points adrift of the pacesetters in a national football league whose $740,000 (650,000 euros) first prize is the biggest in Africa.
Title-holders Kaizer Chiefs are sixth in the 16-club table, five points behind Wits, after drawing 0-0 away to second-from-bottom Jomo Cosmos at Olen Park stadium in north-west university town Potchefstroom.
It was a predictable result as promoted Cosmos, a team owned and coached by South Africa football legend Jomo Sono, entered the game after three goalless draws in six outings.
Belgian Andrea Fileccia became joint leading Premiership scorer this season with five goals after bagging a brace as resurgent Free State Stars triumphed 2-0 at struggling Polokwane City. – AFP
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