CAPE TOWN - Kaizer Chiefs and hosts Petro de Luanda played to a goalless draw in their CAF Champions League Group C match at the Estadio 11 de Novembro in Angola on Tuesday evening.
Chiefs looked comfortable on the ball in the opening half-hour, during which they managed three shots on goal, as well as a corner, despite their meagre 33% possession.
Luanda, on the other hand, managed several sorties into the opposition half. However, Chiefs' man-marking was quite exemplary around the fringes of their goalmouth. As a result, Luanda's marksmen were taken out of the picture.
Chiefs' Nigerian goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi suffered a heavy knock while attempting to clear the ball from a back pass. Luanda midfielder Santos Kiaku body checked him and Burundi referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana yellow-carded him for this indiscretion.
Midway through the half, Luanda wrested the initiative and launched several penetrative raids into the opposition penalty area. Chiefs' defence was showing an improvement, and Akpeyi saved on occasions when Luanda tried to score.
Just past the half-hour mark, Luanda were awarded two free-kicks from 35 metres out, but both set-piece efforts came to nought.
Two minutes from halftime, Chiefs’ midfielder Lebogang Manyama had a chance in the striking zone, but he was hesitant, and Luanda's defence dispossessed him.
The pace picked up a fair bit when second-half play resumed, with Chiefs looking the likelier to score.
Once Luanda absorbed that spell of pressure, they ran hard at Chiefs' defence, and two half-chances emerged, but the stalemate persisted.
In the 73rd minute, Chiefs had a gilt-edged chance to score after a well-taken free-kick by Manyama. The Luanda defence failed to clear the ball, and it skidded harmlessly past two unmarked Chiefs players in the penalty box.
Chiefs sent on substitutes Nkosingiphile and Samir Nurkovic in the second half to beef up their attack but, in the end, had to settle for a draw.