Kaizer Chiefs put one foot in the Caf Champions League semi-finals after securing an emphatic 4-0 win over Simba SC in a quarter-final first-leg match at FNB Stadium on Saturday evening.
Goals from Samir Nurkovic (a brace), Erick Mathoho and Leonardo Castro inspired Amakhosi to a well-deserved win which saw the Soweto giants maintain their unbeaten home record in this season's Champions League.
Amakhosi were looking to grab a first-leg advantage against the Reds of Msimbazi and also snap their four-match winless run having drawn 1-1 with Swallows FC on Wednesday.
Mathoho, Nurkovic, Reeve Frosler, Njabulo Blom and Dumisani Zuma all made their return to the starting line-up as coach Gavin Hunt made four changes to the team which faced Swallows.
On the other hand, the Reds of Msimbazi were hoping to carry their form from the Tanzanian Premier League into the Champions League having won five successive matches in their domestic league.
Luis Miquissone and Chris Mugalu (brace), who both scored in Simba's previous match which was the 3-1 win over Dodoma Jiji on April 27 started in the attack for coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa's side.
Chiefs got off to the perfect start as they broke the deadlock through Mathoho, who marked his return to the starting line-up with a goal just six minutes into the match.
Nurkovic flicked a well-taken corner-kick from Bernard Parker and Mathoho headed past Simba goalkeeper Aishi Manula to hand Chiefs a 1-0 lead and it was his third goal in this season's Champions League.
Simba surged forward in numbers as they looked to restore parity, but the Chiefs defence looked solid and compact with Siyabonga Ngezana, Reeve Frosler and Mathoho making some important clearances and interceptions.
The home side doubled their lead four minutes after the half-hour mark as Frosler's delightful cross was headed home by Nurkovic, who netted his first goal in the Champions League, to hand Chiefs a 2-0 lead heading into the half-time break.
The Reds of Msimbazi looked to pull one back after the restart, but their defence looked shaky whenever the visitors were forced to defend against the likes of Lebogang Manyama, Nurkovic and Castro.
Nurkovic pounced and scored with a brilliant volley to make it 3-0 to Chiefs after Simba defender Mohammed Husseini had mistakenly headed the ball into his path three minutes before the hour-mark.
The Simba defence was struggling to contain the hosts and it was soon 4-0 to Chiefs in the 63rd minute when Castro hit the back of the net with a diving header to extend the four-time PSL champions' lead.
Da Rosa decided to introduce attackers Hassan Dilunga and John Bocco as the 21-time Tanzanian Premier League champions searched for an away goal in the closing proceedings.
However, Chiefs goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma made a fine save to deny Bocco to ensure that the match ended in a 4-0 victory in favour of the Soweto giants on the night.
The two teams are scheduled to meet again in the second-leg encounter at Tanzania's National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on May 22.
