Wandile Duba and Ashley Du Preez get the goals for Chiefs.
Kaizer Chiefs will have far more difficult tasks this season than they faced in Polokwane against a dreadful Richards Bay on Wednesday.
But Nasreddine Nabi’s Amakhosi side can still be encouraged by a resilient 2-1 Betway Premiership win at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Chiefs had to play almost half of this game with ten men, after Reeve Frosler was sent off early in the second half.
Young Wandile Duba’s first league goal of the season had put Amakhosi in the lead, but as Frosler trudged from the field, the evening looked set to turn tricky for Nabi’s men.
Instead, Brandon Truter’s Richards Bay continued to look utterly listless, and a fine goal from Ashley Du Preez effectively killed off the away side. If this form continues, Truter may also find his job is dead in the water.
A stoppage time header from Yanele Mbuthuma gave Chiefs some nervy final minutes, but they hung on for the three points.
An injury to Fiacre Ntwari on international duty meant Brandon Peterson got a first appearance of the season in goal for Chiefs.
Peterson had impressed in a pre-season tournament during the Fifa break, along with Sibongiseni Mthethwa and Pule Mmodi, who got their first starts of the season on Wednesday.
Gaston Sirino started the game on the bench, as did Ranga Chivaviro, with Ashley Du Preez earning his first start under Nabi.
Somila Ntsundwana put an early chance wide for Richards Bay, but slowly, Chiefs began to take control of the match.
Some neat interplay almost played in Mduduzi Shabalala, but it was Duba who struck in the 21st minute.
Mmodi won a corner that was played short to Yusuf Maart. The Chiefs captain sent in an inswinging cross that Duba steered into the net, for his first league goal of the season.
Chiefs should have doubkled their lead in the 32nd minute as Reeve Frosler sent in a brilliant cross, and central defender Given Msimango headed the ball wide with the goal gaping.
Three minutes later, Duba skipped into the penalty area and found Bradley Cross at the back post, but he blazed over the bar.
Richards Bay were creating little, but Truter’s side wasted a great chance to equalise on the stroke of half time. Ntsundwana rose completely unmarked in the Chiefs penalty area, but headed well over the bar.
Chiefs’ second half couldn’t have got off to a worse start as Frosler was sent off for a second bookable offence.
It was only the second minute when referee Cedric Muvhali had shown Frosler his first yellow card, for a late tackle on Langelihle Mhlongo. And just after the break, Frosler had to walk, after his boot caught the face of Nkosikhona Ndaba.
Richards Bay came close on the hour mark, Lwandile Mabuya’s free kick flying just over. But Truter’s side were creating nothing from open play and it was ten-man Chiefs who doubled their lead in the 68th minute.
Maart robbed his former Amakhosi teammate Siyethemba Sithebe in midfield and fizzed a fine pass to Du Preez, who turned superbly and stabbed a low finish past Ian Otieno.
