Kaizer Chiefs secured a vital 2-1 victory over Stellenbosch on Wednesday night, with Wandile Duba delivering a stellar performance by scoring both goals for Amakhosi. The win came as a much-needed boost for Chiefs, who have struggled for consistency under new head coach Nasreddine Nabi. The team entered this encounter on the back of a disappointing 1-0 loss to Cape Town City.
Stellenbosch took the lead early in the match when Khomotjo Lekholoane found the net in the 20th minute. However, Chiefs responded swiftly, with Duba leveling the score just eight minutes later. In the second half, Duba completed his brace, netting the winning goal in the 57th minute to seal the three points for Chiefs.
The win pushed Chiefs up to 5th place in the Betway Premiership standings, with 18 points, while Stellenbosch, also on 18 points, dropped to 7th position.
The match began with Chiefs on the front foot, but Bradley Cross squandered an early chance, shooting over the bar after receiving a well-weighted pass from Mduduzi Shabalala. On the counter, Stellenbosch’s Devin Titus surged forward, only to fire wide of the target.
Stellenbosch’s attacking play was fluid, and they deservedly took the lead when Lekholoane capitalized on poor defending from Chiefs, firing the ball past Bruce Bvuma in the Chiefs goal.
Chiefs quickly regrouped, and Duba made an impact with a clinical header, converting a perfect delivery from Thatayaone Ditlhokwe following a 28th-minute corner from Shabalala.
After the break, the match became more tightly contested, with few clear-cut chances. However, Chiefs took advantage of one opportunity when Mfundo Vilakazi, on for the injured Ashley du Preez, played Duba through on goal. Duba made no mistake, firing past Stellies keeper Sage Stephens at the near post to put Chiefs in the lead.
Stellenbosch almost hit back immediately, but Bvuma was on hand to deny Ibrahim Jabaar’s thunderous shot, tipping it over the crossbar to preserve the lead for Chiefs.
With the three points in the bag, Kaizer Chiefs will look to build on this performance as they aim to gain momentum in the second half of the season, while Stellenbosch will be disappointed to let a promising start slip away.
