Chiefs pay the penalty as Kotoko win Toyota Cup

Kaizer Chiefs displayed familiar failings on Saturday as they were beaten 3-2 on penalties by Asante Kotoko at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, losing the Toyota Cup for the second season in a row.

Mohamed Camara saved Inacio Miguel’s spot kick to win the game for the Ghanaian giants, at the end of a chaotic shootout that saw Chiefs miss four penalties to Kotoko’s three.

It was a horrible moment for the Chiefs captain, who also failed to score from the spot in the latter stages of normal time. Chiefs put up an impressive second half performance, but were as wasteful in front of goal as they were in the whole of the 2024/25 Betway Premiership campaign.

If this defeat was far less embarrassing than the 4-0 hammering from Young Africans in the first Toyota Cup a year ago, it still left plenty for Nasreddine Nabi and his coaching staff to ponder.

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A bumpy surface in Durban hardly encouraged slick passing football and both sides struggled to get going, with sand flying up from the pitch with every challenge. 

New Chiefs signings

Nabi started the game with three of his new signings. Nkanyiso Shinga and Thabiso Monyane occupied the full back positions, while Portuguese striker Flavio Da Silva was in attack alongside Chiefs youngster Mfundo Vilakazi and DR Congo winger Glody Lilepo. 

Lilepo hit an effort from long range in the 13th minute, but despite the ball bouncing just in front of Kotoko ‘keeper Mohamed Kamara, he gathered easily. 

A minute later, Shinga fouled Hilary Adabo on the edge of the box. Emmanuel Antwi sent in a dangerous free kick, and an unmarked Kwame Opoku headed on target but Brandon Peterson tipped over. 

Set pieces looked like they might be the best chance for both sides to hit the back of the net. In the 27th minute, Chiefs won a free kick, and Da Silva rose highest to meet it, but headed wide. 

Vilakazi then went close from another dead ball situation, curling just wide from about 25 metres out.

In the 36th minute, Chiefs did manage to put some neat passes together on the edge of the Kotoko box, with Lilepo eventually smashing a shot over the bar.

Half time changes

Nabi made three changes at the break, Mduduzi Shabalala replacing Cele, Wandile Duba coming on for Da Silva and Pule Mmodi replacing Vilakazi.

In. the 54th minute, Chiefs put together another good move and the ball fell to Lilepo inside the box, but he took too long to shoot and the danger was cleared.

In the 57th minute, Duba came within inches of giving Chiefs the lead. Amakhosi’s young attacker put the ball through the legs of his marker and smashed in a fine shot that clattered back off the bar.

Kotoko almost shot themselves in the foot in the 67th minute as a Shabalala free kick was sent loopingh towards his own net by Dayda Saaka, but Henry Ansu was on hand to head clear.

Glorious chance wasted

Just as the game seemed to be drifting towards a penalty shootout, Mmodi went down in the box, and the referee pointed to the spot. Kotoko’s players were unimpressed and the contact on Mmodi from Ansu did look insignificant.

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In the end it didn’t matter as Miguel couldn’t hit the target, the ball flying wide of Camara’s right hand post.

The Amakhosi skipper missed another wonderful chance with a weak header in stoppage time, and his misery was complete as Camara dived to his left to stop a pedestrian penalty in the shootout.