Baroka Maintain Top Eight Spot

Baroka Maintain Top Eight Spot

Evidence Makgopa bagged his seventh goal of the DStv Premiership season as Baroka secured a point at Maritzburg United on Friday night.

Serbian defender Dusan Stevic got a rare start alongside recalls for Judas Moseamedi and Riyaaz Ismail in the Maritzburg line-up while Bakgaga made only one alteration, as Joslin Kamatuka got back into the line-up.

The Team of Choice were on the front foot in the early exchanges which resulted in the opening on goal on 25 minutes when Thabiso Kutumela found the top corner after a cut-back by Daylon Claasen.

Ryan Rae came close to doubling the lead for United in the 32nd minute with a header from Tebogo Tlolane's corner but his effort was saved by goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke.

The visitors snatched the equaliser a minute later courtesy of Makgopa, who found the bottom corner with a strike from the centre of the box from a set-piece situation after some good work by Goodman Mosele.

With the game opening up early in the second stanza , Tlolane had a wonderful chance to restore the lead for United just before the hour-mark after receiving a flick on from Moseamedi but he struck he could not find the target, before Kutumela was denied by Masuluke five minutes.

Baroka, who were dropping deep in their own half in the closing stages, needed fresh legs in midfield in the last 13 minutes, as Thamsanqa Masiya came on for Kgodiso Monama while three minutes later Maritzburg made a tactical change, with Sibusiso Hlubi replacing Moseamedi.

Matsimela Thoka's troops were reduced to ten men seven minutes before time after Ananias Gebhardt got a second yellow card for a late tackle on Stevic and was sent off.

Tshediso Patjie almost snatched the winner for Baroka in stoppage time with a close-range strike but Marcel Engelhardt was equal to the task, as the sides settled for a share the spoils in the end.

The Limpopo side moved two points clear of ninth-placed TS Galaxy in eighth spot on the log while the Team of Choice moved four points clear of the relegation zone in 13th place.