Kaizer Chiefs defied being a player down for the better part of the second half to beat Richards Bay 2-1 in a Premier Soccer League clash at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday.

Wandile Duba opened the scoring for Chiefs after 21 minutes before Ashley du Preez repaid coach Nasreddine Nabi for handing him his first start of the season with Amakhosi’s second goal on 68 minutes.

Yanela Mbuthuma’s stoppage time goal was not enough to complete a comeback for the Natal Rich Boyz who struggled to break 10-man Chiefs after Reeve Frosler was red-carded three minutes into the second half.

After going 25 days without playing competitive football, Chefs were back to stop a three-match winless run in the league to rise to position six on the table.

They have 11 points fewer than leaders Orlando Pirates, although with a game in hand.

Richards Bay are now on a seven-match winless streak and dropped one place to 14th spot.

Nabi opted to start Du Preez instead of Ranga Chivaviro who sat on the bench on an evening where centre-back Inacio Miguel was suspended.

With goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari not fully fit, Brandon Petersen was called to guard goal.

Central midfielder Sibongiseni Mthethwa made his maiden appearance of the season while winger Pule Mmodi was in the line-up for the first time this term.

Kenya goalkeeper Ian Otieno continued to be preferred between the sticks for Richards Bay ahead of his Uganda counterpart Jamal Magoola.

Central midfielder Siyethemba Sithembe and forward Justice Figuareido were surprisingly benched for such a big match by coach Brandon Truter.

Chiefs were piling pressure from the first whistle and it paid off when Duba connected a cross from Yusuf Maart.

Amakhosi then went a man down when Frosler earned himself a second yellow card after kicking Nkosikhona in the face.

Du Preez then slid Maart’s pass through the legs of Otieno for his first goal of the season.

Richards Bay then pulled a goal back when Mbuthuma rose highest to head home a Lwandile Mabuya delivery.

A late successful comeback could not materialise for the Natal Rich Boyz as Chiefs hung on to their lead.

Pictured above: Richards Bay defender Thabisa Ndelu dribbles past the Kaizer Chiefs duo of Sibongiseni Mthethwa and Wandile Duba

Source: Richards Bay