Pule pushes Chiefs to Coca-Cola Cup victory

Johannesburg - Favourites Kaizer Chiefs won the 2003 Coca-Cola Cup with a more difficult than expected 2-0 win over Premier Soccer League rookies Silver Stars in an uninspiring final played at the FNB stadium on Saturday.

There was no score at half-time.

Chiefs took home the R2 million winners' cheque while Stars earned their biggest ever payday by claiming the runners' up purse of R1 million.

The Stars' lack of cup final experience and their goal shy strikers were their downfall. Playing in their first ever final, Stars failed to capitalise on a shaky Chiefs defence that was caught flat footed on the counter-attack.

Chiefs were lucky not to go into half-time at least two goals down. They underestimated Stars and had it not been for poor finishing from the Limpopo-based side, Chiefs could have been in trouble. But winning cup finals are all about taking the chances created on the day and this was where Stars let themselves down.

They can, however, be proud of a gutsy performance. Not once in the game were Chiefs allowed to dominate as many throughout they would.

Amakhosi looked too casual and expected to roll over Stars by the way they attacked them in the opening 10 minutes. But the longer the half went so Stars gained their confidence and worried Chiefs by hitting the cup favourites successfully on the counter-attack.

Stars captain Dingane Masanabo had a dangerous shot cleared by defender Cyril Nzama in the 23rd minute. But the Stars skipper missed a glorious chance to break the deadlock five minutes later. Masanabo beat the offside trap and with the goal at his mercy he seemed to panic and shot wide.

Then it was the turn of former Chiefs midfielder Thabang Lebese to fluff a goal-scoring opportunity in the 35th minute. Lebese also beat the static Chiefs defence and the offside trap, but like his captain wasted his chance when he was in a good goal-scoring position. Instead of the goals, the veteran hit the side netting.

Chiefs lacked urgency until late in the half. Playmaker John "Shoes" Moshoeu headed over the Stars cross bar six minutes from the interval. But the biggest miss of the half came from Chiefs' favourite son Jabu Pule who thumped a cross from teammate Patrick Mayo over the crossbar in the 43rd minute.

It took some breathtaking skills from Pule to set up the only goal nine minutes after the restart. Pule magically beat off a succession of challenges and laid off the perfect through ball for Stanton Frederick who calmly stroked the ball past 'keeper Johannes Diale for the only goal of the game.

Stars refused to surrender. The crossbar denied Surprise Moriri an equaliser when his powerfully struck 20 metre free kick cannoned off the upright in the 63rd minute.

Then Masanabo, who forgot to bring his shooting boots along, missed another good chance to score in the 66th minute.

Stars took the game to Chiefs, and the majority of Chiefs fans in the 55 000-plus crowd were silent as Stars kept up the pressure looking for the elusive equaliser.

The woodwork came to Chiefs' rescue again in the 75th minute when Morris Chauke's shot bounced off the post.

A minute later Pule, who was the best Chiefs player on the day, was wide with a hard-hit long-range shot. But the Chiefs goalkeeper had to make a smart save from Moriri six minutes from time to ensure that Chiefs added the Coke Cup to the silverware collection.

Chiefs got a bonus penalty late in injury time when Patrick Mayo made it 2-0 after Stars defender Sipho Mchabe hacked down Moshoeu inside the penalty area. - Sapa