Football
Nick Said, Special to ESPN 7y

Crisis continues for reigning PSL champions Bidvest Wits

The crisis continued unabated at South African champions Bidvest Wits as they lost for a third time this season and remain winless in their first five games of the new league season.

A 3-0 loss at AmaZulu, who had only won once before Wednesday night's game in Durban, means Wits extended the worst start by any defending champion to a Premier Soccer League season.

Instead it is unfancied Golden Arrows and Baroka FC, led by eccentric coach Kgoloko Thobejane, who are in top place, with Orlando Pirates on 11 points after the opening five rounds.

Baroka won 2-0 away at Bloemfontein Celtic on Wednesday, with goals from Sipho Moeti and Gift Motupa to join the three-way tie at the summit.

Pirates had beaten Cape Town City 1-0 at home on Tuesday with a late goal from Thabo Qalinge.

Golden Arrows converted a penalty two minutes into stoppage time to beat Platinum Stars at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, with Zimbabwean international Kudakwashe Mahachi ensuring Stars stayed bottom with just a single point from their opening five games.

There was also an away victory for Kaizer Chiefs on Wednesday as they won 2-0 at Maritzburg United.

Chiefs have now taken seven points from their last three games despite playing all of those matches with their backs to the wall.

Their Venezuelan striker Gustavo Paez netted either side of half time, with Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune again proving the hero. He made a myriad of key stops and topped another fine individual performance with a late penalty save.

Chiefs now join Maritzburg with eight points in fourth place

Michael Morton was both hero and villain for AmaZulu, scoring with an 11th-minute piledriver to give the home side the lead at the King Zwelithini Stadium, only to be sent off with some 20 minutes to go.

However, by the time the red card was flashed, AmaZulu had gone three up, with Rhulani Manzini adding two more, first with a dubious penalty on the hour mark and then a low finish just two minutes later.

Wits lie second bottom in the PSL standings with questions now swirling around the relationship between coach Gavin Hunt, a tough taskmaster, and his players.

On Tuesday, Free State Stars registered their first success of the season when they won 3-2 at Polokwane City, but almost let the three-goal lead they established in the opening 25 minutes by the end.

There was also a 1-1 draw at Atteridgeville on Tuesday as SuperSport United were held by Chippa United in only the second game under their new coach Tebeho Moloi.

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