Both teams strode onto the pitch at Athlone Stadium on a balmy Cape Town afternoon yesterday, desperate for all three points.
Ultimately, they left with a share of the spoils, with neither side able to bulge the net as Cape Town City were held to a goalless draw by Kaizer Chiefs in this DStv Premiership encounter.
The result did neither team any favours, with City still seeking their first win of 2024. Equally, Chiefs have also only won one match from seven attempts across all competitions this year.
The lack of composure in the final third is indicative of their current form, and if it doesn’t change anytime soon, they will both remain frustrated with their inability to convert chances into that precious commodity called goals.
It is not as if this was an entirely drab affair; both teams had chances, with the first one falling to Chiefs’ striker Wandile Duba, who came into the starting XI early on.
The youngster managed to find space behind the City defence after a good run to meet a lofted ball over the top in the sixth minute.
Unfortunately for the Amakhosi, he was not able to steady himself. With only City keeper Darren Keet to beat, Duba ballooned the ball over the crossbar.
The let-off seemed to galvanise City as the home team enjoyed a good passage of play from there on, which resulted in slick inter passing all the way from the back through the midfield, before a long-ranging pass set Venezuelan winger Darwin Gonzalez away.
The South American unleashed a rifling shot from a tight angle that cannoned off the right post.
It was end-to-end action at that point, with Chiefs managing to win a corner that found Siyethemba Sithebe, who struck his shot first time, but unfortunately it was straight at Keet, who smothered the ball.
The last chance of the first half, however, belonged to the home team, with Namibian fullback Aprocius Petrus, who was making his DStv Premiership debut for City, dragging out a stupendous save from Chiefs goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma shortly before the changeover.
The second period began in almost identical fashion, with the best opportunity of the match once again falling to Duba almost virtually straight from the restart.
Duba stormed into the City goal area with a rasping run, but failed to pull the trigger at the right moment as he fired wide of the right corner.
The remainder of the second half proved to be a tussle in midfield, resulting in nothing the goalkeepers could not cope with.
City, therefore, remain in fifth spot with 32 points, while Chiefs, stay in seventh with 30 points.
Both teams will be in action this week, with the Amakhosi hosting the in-form Stellenbosch FC at FNB Stadium on Tuesday, while City head off to Polokwane to face Sekhukhune United.