Former Kaizer Chiefs Captain Scores Twice In Nine-Goal Austrian Cup Thriller

Former Kaizer Chiefs captain Yusuf Maart delivered a memorable individual performance for SV Ried, scoring twice in a dramatic Austrian Cup encounter against LASK on Wednesday night. However, despite his impressive contribution, the South African midfielder ended the evening on the losing side as Ried suffered a painful 5-4 defeat after extra time.

It was a night of contrasting emotions for Maart, who finally opened his goalscoring account for the Austrian club with a superb brace. His two goals appeared to put SV Ried in a commanding position, but a remarkable late comeback from LASK turned the contest into a nightmare for the visitors.

The match, played at the Round of 16 stage of the UNIQA ÖFB Cup, produced nine goals and delivered the kind of drama that makes knockout football so unpredictable.

LASK started the match with attacking intent, putting pressure on Ried and creating opportunities. However, it was the visitors who found the breakthrough.

In the 37th minute, Maart opened the scoring after receiving an excellent pass from Martin Rasner. The former Amakhosi skipper showed composure in front of goal to give his team a 1-0 advantage heading into half-time.

Ried continued their impressive response after the break, with Isaac Kiese Thelin extending the lead to 2-0 in the 47th minute.

Although Joao Tornich pulled one back for LASK in the 51st minute, Ried remained dangerous going forward.

Maart then produced another important moment in the 76th minute. After receiving a well-delivered cross from Stefan Schwab, the midfielder found the net again to complete his brace and restore Ried’s two-goal advantage at 3-1.

At that stage, Ried appeared to have one foot in the next round.

However, the defending champions refused to surrender.

Robert Ljubicic reduced the deficit in the 84th minute before Xavier Mbuyamba delivered the biggest blow to Ried’s hopes by scoring in stoppage time to make it 3-3.

The equaliser forced the match into extra time, with momentum now firmly on LASK’s side.

Moses Usor completed the turnaround in the 111th minute, giving LASK a 4-3 lead. Samuel Adeniran then extended the advantage to 5-3 in the 120th minute.

Philipp Pomer managed to score another goal for Ried shortly afterwards, but it was too late to prevent their elimination.

The final score was 5-4 in favour of LASK, who secured their place in the Austrian Cup quarter-finals.

A Positive Night Despite The Disappointment

Although the result was heartbreaking for SV Ried, Maart can take confidence from his individual performance.

The two goals marked his first strikes for the club and demonstrated the attacking contribution he can offer from midfield.

The former Kaizer Chiefs captain has been an important figure for Ried, and his performance against LASK provides another indication of his ability to compete in European football.

https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2115680374286127229/photo/1

Felly147 feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com