Golden Arrows hammered Chippa United 4-0 on Saturday afternoon to book their place in the Carling Knockout quarter-finals. Abafana Bes’thende produced a strong performance at King Zwelithini Stadium and became the first team to progress from the round of 16.

Junior Dion opened the scoring early when he headed home from a corner. The Durban side doubled their lead midway through the first half. Dion turned provider and set up Sabelo Sithole, who finished calmly for his first goal of the season. Chippa United struggled to create clear chances in the opening period and went into the break two goals down.

The second half followed a similar pattern. Chippa tried to push forward after half-time changes, but Arrows stayed in control. Substitute Nhlanhla Zwane made the result safe late in the game when he rounded the goalkeeper and scored into an empty net. Jerome Karelse, another substitute, completed the scoring with a well-taken curling effort that sealed the 4-0 win.

The victory comes at an important moment for Golden Arrows. The club parted ways with coach Pitso Dladla during the week after a difficult start to the season. Mandla Ncikazi has returned as the new head coach, although he watched the match from the stands while Ashley Makhanya took charge on the bench. The four-goal win ends a run of games without a victory and gives the players and new coach a positive result to build on.

Chippa United, who had hoped to bounce back from their previous result, found it difficult against a well-organised Arrows side. Brandon Truter’s team made several changes but could not find a way back into the match.

Golden Arrows will now focus on the quarter-finals of the Carling Knockout while also preparing for their next league fixtures. The emphatic win against Chippa has given Abafana Bes’thende early momentum under the new coaching setup and shown that the team can still deliver strong performances when it matters. Fans will be hoping this result marks the start of a better run for the side in both cup and league competitions.

Source: https://x.com/iDiskiTimes/status/2114007117464317955