Stellenbosch FC came from a goal down to snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs in a Betway Premiership clash at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday night.
Despite Amakhosi drawing first blood through Flavio Da Silva in the first half, second-half strikes from Langelihle Phili and Devin Titus ensured the Winelands side walked away with maximum points.
Chiefs entered the encounter desperate to turn their fortunes around following a gruelling week. The Soweto giants were recently dumped out of the CAF Confederation Cup group stages by Zamalek SC, just days after Stellenbosch themselves had knocked Chiefs out of the Nedbank Cup Last 32. This result further cements Stellies’ status as a “bogus team” for the Glamour Boys this season.
In a bid to refresh the squad, the Chiefs technical team handed Ethan Chislett his first start since joining the club from English League One side Port Vale in July 2025. The hosts also welcomed back speedster Ashley Du Preez, who returned to the starting XI following a lengthy injury layoff.
Chiefs started the brighter of the two sides and thought they had taken the lead in the 9th minute when Du Preez slotted home a pass from Silva, only for the assistant referee to flag for offside.
Amakhosi continued to pile on the pressure, with Da Silva seeing a goal-bound effort cleared off the line. Shortly after, Chislett forced a brilliant save from Sage Stephens, who parried his stinging drive wide. Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity of the half fell to Du Preez; after rounding Stephens, the striker inexplicably failed to convert into an empty net.
CHIEFS STRIKER DA SILVA BREAKS THE DEADLOCK
After creating a flurry of chances in the opening exchanges, Chiefs finally broke the deadlock in the 36th minute. Da Silva found the back of the net after being played through by Glody Lilepo, allowing the Soweto giants to head into the tunnel with a 1-0 lead at the interval.
However, the Winelands-based outfit emerged a different side after the break and were quick off the mark. They levelled matters in the 51st minute thanks to a clinical strike from highly-rated winger Langelihle Phili.
In an attempt to reclaim control and secure all three points, the Amakhosi technical team made a quadruple substitution. Thabo Cele, Wandile Duba, Mduduzi Shabalala, and Mfundo Vilakazi were introduced in place of Silva, Chislett, Du Preez, and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo.
The fresh legs almost paid immediate dividends in the 75th minute when Duba and Shabalala combined brilliantly, but Sage Stephens proved to be the difference once again, producing a vital save to keep the scores level.
Chiefs were made to rue those missed opportunities in the 87th minute when Devin Titus ghosted in to score the winner, snatching all three points for the visitors.
The defeat is a bitter pill to swallow for the Glamour Boys, who failed to close the gap on league leaders Orlando Pirates. They now shift their focus to Saturday’s highly anticipated Soweto Derby against the Buccaneers, remaining in fourth place but with a game in hand.
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