Kaizer Chiefs (1) 1
(Da Sliva 36’)

Stellenbosch (0) 2
(Phili 51’, Titus 87’)

Betway Premiership
FNB stadium, Nasrec

Kaizer Chiefs were somehow defeated 2-1 by Stellenbosch in the Betway Premiership on a damp night at the FNB stadium in Nasrec on Tuesday, in a match in which they led comfortably at halftime and controlled for the majority of the 90-plus minutes.

Flavio Da Silva had given Chiefs a deserved lead at the break after an instinctive finish nine minutes before the break. Yet, Stellenbosch equalised in the 51^st minute and stole all three points through Devin Titus’ winner in the 87^th minute.

The result keeps Amakhosi in fourth place in the table, on 30 points from 16 matches, and a huge fixture to come on the weekend.

Chiefs looked confident from the outset, knocking the ball around with authority as they shifted the defensively organised Stellenbosch unit from side to side, probing for openings. Glody Lilepo had the first effort of the game in the 2^nd minute but fired high and wide from long range. Flavio Da Silva came closer a couple of minutes later when he cut inside from the right and hit a skiddy shot from a tight angle that Sage Stephens managed to keep out at his near post.

Amakhosi had the ball in the net in the 9^th minute after Lebohang Maboe went on a mazy run through midfield and then slipped Da Silva in behind the defence. The striker squared the ball for Ashley Du Preez to tap in but has adjudged to have been a touch offside and the goal was disallowed.

The home side continued to dominate against a visiting side intent on avoiding defeat and Du Preez ought to have given Chiefs the lead in the 32^nd minute when he latched onto Paseka Mako’s excellent pass, lifted the ball over Stephens and then inexplicably missed the open target, leaving the crowd in stunned disbelief.

They didn’t have to wait long before Chiefs took a deserved lead as they worked the ball out to the right in the 36^th minute and Lilepo’s accurate cross found Da Silva, who cleverly glanced the ball into the net off his chest from close range at the near post.

The goal forced Stellenbosch to come out a bit more, yet they were unable to trouble the Chiefs defence and Amakhosi remained a threat on the counter-attack, although they couldn’t add to the lead before going into the break at 1-0.

The Winelands side drew level six minutes into the second half with one of their first attacks of the game when Devin Titus swept a ball in from the right that should have been cleared but evaded everybody in the centre to reach the far post where Phili Langelihle tucked it home from a couple of yards out.

The home side immediately went in search of regaining the lead and Both Ethan Chislett, who made a decent debut, and Dillan Solomons saw their shots gathered by Stephens.

In an effort to freshen things up, co-coaches Kaze and Ben Yousseff made a quadruple substitution with 20 minutes remaining and one of them, Mduduzi Shabalala had a goal-bound effort kept out by Stephens, who was by some distance the busier of the two goalkeepers on the night.

However, it would be the visitors who would stun the home crowd for a second time, taking the lead in the 87^th minute through Titus, who was set up by Ibraheem Jabaar, and Amakhosi found themselves training in a match in which they were in the driving seat most of the time.

As the time ticked away, Chiefs tried everything to equalise, yet couldn’t find that final connection to make it count.

The result will give the team extra motivation going into the much-anticipated Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates on Saturday.

Line-ups

Kaizer Chiefs:  Petersen © (1); Mako (29), McCarthy (35), Kwinika (4), Solomons (18), Ngcobo (12) (Cele (21) 70’), Maboe (6) (Sirino (10) 86’), Chislett (23) (Shabalala (7) 70’), Du Preez (9) (Vilakazi (28) 70’), Lilepo (99), Da Silva (77) (Duba (47) 70’)

Subs not used: Ntwari (71); Cross (48), Monyane (2), Shinga (74)

Coaches: Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze

Stellenbosch: Stephens © (17); Stanic (4), Lebusa (31), Mdaka (3) (Tiwani (13) 46’), Jooste (66) (Butsaka (33) 34’), Jabaar (27), Mthiyane (21) (Palace (19) 46’), Enyinnaya (16), Phili (11), Cupido (9) (Khanyi (15) 77’), Titus (34)

Subs not used: Masuluke (30); Nkwali (13), Mokobodi (29), Kodisang (28), Abrahams (23) 

Coach: Gavin Hunt