Flavio Da Silva the hero as former Portugal youth international hands Kaizer Chiefs win over Durban City and Amakhosi overtake Orlando Pirates in PSL standings

Kaizer Chiefs made a lively start to the encounter, with Mduduzi Shabalala slipping a clever pass through to Glody Lilepo, who dragged his effort wide with only Darren Keet to beat in the box on 10 minutes.

The Soweto giants dominated possession throughout the half, forcing Durban City to rely on counter-attacks led by Joslin Kamatuka and Trevor Mokwena. But Chiefs’ backline stood firm.

Lilepo continued to pose the biggest threat down the left flank, showing pace and intent, though City’s defence refused to let the Congolese forward find space in the final third. On the opposite wing, Mfundo Vilakazi worked hard to stretch the play, but clear chances remained elusive.

Despite Chiefs’ control and early promise, the teams headed into the halftime break deadlocked at 0-0. The second-half saw co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef make several changes.

Substitutes Gaston Sirino and Flavio da Silva combined to hand Chiefs a 1-0 win over City. Sirino delivered a cross which was headed home by Da Silva in the 88th minute for the Portuguese-Bissau Guinean striker's third goal of the season.

The win elevated the Chiefs to third place as they leapfrogged arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in the PSL standings. City, on the other hand, remained fourth on the table.

Da Silva became a constant threat to the City defence after coming on as a substitute, as he made clever runs into the opposition's box. 

Ultimately, the box striker proved to be the hero as he netted the decisive goal after connecting well with Sirino's exquisite cross. 

City were happy to sit back and allow Chiefs to dominate possession, while looking for the right time to launch quick counterattacks.

However, the approach backfired as City left Moses Mabhida Stadium empty-handed after recording their first home defeat of the season. 

The Glamour Boys shift gears for their next Premier Soccer League assignment, with a few days to recalibrate and refocus.   

Chiefs will welcome Orbit College FC to FNB Stadium on Tuesday, while Durban City are scheduled to host Marumo Gallants at Chatsworth Stadium on Wednesday.