The win saw the KwaZulu-Natal outfit temporarily move up to second on the Absa Premiership standings.
It took an amazing long range strike from Namibian international Rudolf Bester in the 34th minute to break the dead lock and score what was to be the game?s only goal. Maritzburg were by far the more creative and enterprising team in this encounter and were worthy victors.
Chiefs for most part of the first half were at sixes and sevens in trying to deal with Maritzburg's assault down both flanks; this rang true again when Felix Obada took on and beat Thomas Sweswe on the right edge of the 18 yard area. As Obada?s ball came goal wards Chiefs keeper Arthur Bartman let the ball run past him, he was given a huge let off as Bester who had made a run behind him just failed to make contact with the ball.
The home side were feeling the pressure and two minutes later Maritzburg were asking questions of the unsure Chiefs defence once more, on this occasion Isaacs was unable to head clear Obada?s cross shot from the right hand edge of the Chiefs penalty area. After passing Isaacs the ball bounced awkwardly in front of Chiefs keeper Bartman, to the veteran net minder?s credit he read the bounce well and stretched back to get a hand to the ball and palmed it to safety.
Nine minutes before half time Bester who had been giving Chiefs a rough time all afternoon long, silenced the sizeable number of home fans in attendance, with a strike sure to be a candidate for goal of the season. Picking up the ball on the left, Bester cut inwards and glided past Jimmy Tau, with a quick look up at he unleashed a vicious shot from 20 yards out which flew across goal past Bartman and shook the top of the net.
It took until just past the hour mark for Chiefs to have a shot at goal in the second half, but David Mathebula could not hit the target from eight yards out and instead sent the ball high and wide over the Maritzburg goal.
In the 73rd minute Nhleko held off Byron Hendricks before turning from the right and shooting goal wards. United 'keeper Brenden Wardle managed to knock the ball with his finger tips and deflect the ball inches away from the left hand post and what looked a certain equalizer.
Six minutes from the end man of the match Bester could have scored a second. It all came down to Obada's storming down the right wing as he sent the ball past Bartman to an unmarked Bester and with the goal at his mercy the Namibian could not find the target.
For Maritzburg the win means they climb way up the PSL standings and after five games they have one of their best starts to a PSL season, whereas for Chiefs failure to win means that they have lost three of their opening five matches of the season.
The teams:
Kaizer Chiefs: Bartman, Tau, Jambo, Sweswe, Isaacs, Nengomasha, Mathebula (Sibeko 64), Tshabalala, Masango (Musona 77), Nhleko, Yende (Torrealba 46).
Maritzburg United: Wardle, Dikulu, Petersen, Ngwepe, Chivuta, Smith (Madidilane 63), Davids (Aka 63), Obada, Bester, Madondo, Hendricks (Diouf 75).
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