Kaizer Chiefs walked away victorious with a 2-0 win over Sekhukhune United, led by former Amakhosi coach Cedric Kaze, in a Betway Premiership clash at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night.
Amakhosi came into the encounter seeking redemption after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Golden Arrows in the MTN8 quarter-finals over the weekend—a result that knocked them out of the competition following a two-season absence.
The Soweto giants found the back of the net in the 63rd minute through Luke Baartman, who won Man of the Match in their first game of the season against Kruger United a fortnight ago.
Mduduzi Shabalala added to the scoreline to make it 2-0 in the 84th minute, having come in from the bench.
Below are the key five talking points from the encounter.
1. KAIZER CHIEFS MAKE FIVE CHANGES
Faced with a congested schedule of three matches in six days, Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz opted for squad rotation, making five changes to the starting XI that faced Arrows on Sunday.
Dillan Solomons came in for Thabiso Monyane in defence, while Sibongiseni Mthethwa replaced Adolph Mtasingwa in midfield. Asanele Velebayi earned his first start of the season ahead of Mfundo Vilakazi.
Meanwhile, Langelihle Phili—who made his debut over the weekend—was handed a starting berth in place of Nkosingiphile Ngcobo. In front, Etiosa Ighodaro led the attack ahead of Wandile Duba.
2. PHILI SHINES ON FULL DEBUT
Making his first start for Chiefs, the highly-rated winger walked away with the Man of the Match award. Phili was a constant threat to the Sekhukhune defence, troubling them with sharp runs into dangerous areas and playing a key role in Amakhosi’s victory. After making his debut in last weekend’s MTN8 quarter-final defeat, he will look to build on this performance moving forward.
3. CEDRIC KAZE FACES FORMER SIDE KAIZER CHIEFS
The match marked an immediate reunion for Sekhukhune head coach Cedric Kaze, who faced Amakhosi for the first time since his departure.
Kaze, alongside co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef [now at Durban City FC], guided Chiefs to a third-place finish in the Betway Premiership last season.
The Burundian tactician parted ways with the Naturena-based side on May 26, 2026. This was after a mutual agreement not to renew his contract at the end of the 2025/26 campaign. Kaze’s tactical influence was evident in a tightly contested first half, with both sides going into the break goalless after a tense strategic battle.
4. EARLY BLOW FOR SEKHUKHUNE UNITED AS VUYO LETLAPA SUFFER INJURY SETBACK
Sekhukhune suffered a setback two minutes before the half-time mark when defender Vuyo Letlapa sustained a knee injury and was forced off.
He was replaced by former Polokwane City FC man Simon Ramabu. The latter was making his second appearance in Babina Noko colours following his debut against AmaZulu FC in the MTN8 quarter-finals at Chatsworth Stadium over the weekend.
5. CONFIDENCE-BOOSTING CLEAN SHEET FOR PETERSEN
Chiefs captain Brandon Petersen secured his first clean sheet of the campaign on his third outing of the new season. After conceding in Amakhosi’s opening two matches against Kruger United and Golden Arrows—where a near-post error against Arrows cost a goal—the skipper bounced back with a solid shutout against Sekhukhune. The clean sheet will provide a timely confidence boost ahead of this weekend’s high-stakes encounter against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Elsewhere in the league, newcomers Milford FC registered their first win in the South African top flight by beating Siwelele FC 1-0 at the Umhlathuze Sports Complex. Menzi Chilli scored the all-important goal in the 77th minute.
The fixture marks the final game hosted at the venue for the time being, following a four-week ban imposed by the PSL effective Thursday, 13 August 2026.
The suspension comes after a pitch inspection by league representatives deemed the playing surface unfit for official matches.
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