Stellenbosch FC 0

Kaizer Chiefs 0

After extra-time
Stellenbosch FC win 5-4 on penalties

Carling Black Label Knockout Cup, Round of 16
DHL stadium, Cape Town

Amakhosi were heartbreakingly eliminated from the Carling Black Label Knockout Cup, 5-4 on penalties, after they played to a goalless draw after extra-time against Stellenbosch in their round of 16 clash at DHL stadium in Cape Town on Sunday.

With 120 minutes of keenly contested, though at times chaotic football from both teams, the victors were decided by penalties. Although Fiacre Ntwari saved from Andre De Jong’s effort, Taashriq Morris and Dillan Solomons were denied by Sage Stephens and Stellenbosch emerged victorious.

The match got off to a slow start, possibly as a result of the 30 minute delay in kickoff time to allow the congestion of fans outside the stadium to disspate, with both teams seeming slightly tentative in the early stages. Possession was surrendered both ways in a tremedously competitive tussle for supremacy of the midfield which to establish the platform to build from.

On 15 minutes, though, Khanyisa Mayo, looking to atone for his error against AmaZulu in midweek, decided to take matters into his own hands. Picking the ball up near halfway he ran at the Stellenbosch defence before curling a left-footed 20-yard effort that rebounded off the woodwork, with goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke beaten all ends up. Two minutes later, Masuluke had to dive smartly to turn a Glody Lilepo away for a corner and Dillon Solomons missed the target by a fraction when he let fly spectacularly from long range in the 29th minute, as Amakhosi began to find their rhythm.

Fiacre Ntwari, making his first start in Chiefs’ goal for almost a year, saved comfortably from a Genino Palace shot in the 35^th minute but that aside it was undeniably Amakhosi who looked the likelier to open the scoring and thee minutes into first half stoppage time Lilepo called Masuluke into action again with a shot from a tight angle, keeping the game goalless at the break.

The second half largely resembles much of what came in the first period with Stellenbosch offering little in the way of attacking intention, opting rather to attempt to stifle Chiefs’ ambitions to go for victory which, despite the total commitment of both sets of players, lead to a lot of scrappy play and not much flowing football and no clear cut chances to speak of.

The closest Amakhosi came up to that point was from a 70^th minute Thabo Cele free kick that was headed wide by Inacio Miguel. Bradley Cross did likewise from another Cele Free kick in the 85^th minute. Mduduzi Shabalala dragged a shot wide with two minutes of normal time left as the hosts held out to take the tie to extra-time.

After a cagey first 15 minutes, the game finally opened up in the second period as play got stretched with fatigue setting in and barely a minute after the restart Thapelo Mobobodi went in late on Pule Mmodi which earned him a second booking and his marching orders from the referee.

Amakhosi went for the kill, with Lilepo forcing substitute goalkeeper Sage Stephens to dive full length to keep his shot going into the top corner in the 108^th minute, but the deifiant Winelanders managed to keep their goal intact for the remaining time and take the fate of the result to a penalty shootout, and Amakhosi did not enjoy the good fortune that saw them past Kabuscorp SCP in their CAF Conefedration cup match least weekend.

Line-ups

Kaizer Chiefs:  Ntwari (71), Solomons (18), Kwinika © (4), Miguel (84), Mthethwa (5) (McCarthy (35) 120+1), Ngcobo (12) (Cele (21) 46’), Cross (48), Shabalala (7) (Sirino (10) 89’), Mmodi (13), Lilepo (99) (Morris (40) 119’), Mayo (3) (Du Preez (9) 79’)

Subs not used: Bvuma (44); Frosler (39), Chislett (23), Matlou (22)

Coaches: Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze

Stellenbosch FC: Masuluke (30) (Stephens (17) 61’); Mcaba (26), Mokobodi (29), Moloisane (24), Manafov (2) (Mdaka (3) 91’), Palace (19), Khiba (12) (De Jong (18) 72’), Mthiyane (21), Lekoloane (8)( Cupido (9) 46’), Titus © (34) (Mojela (10) 105’), Khanyi (15) (Barns (20) 61’)

Subs not used: Enyinnaya (16), Butsaka (33), Jabaar (27)

Coach: Steve Barker