Chiefs Beat Arrows To Start 2026 On A Winning Note
Kaizer Chiefs began 2026 on a winning note, edging Golden Arrows 1–0 at FNB Stadium on Tuesday night in a match that was far from entertaining.
Securing a victory in their first match of the year was a welcome improvement for Amakhosi, especially after starting last year with a 1–0 defeat away to relegated Cape Town City.
The win lifted Chiefs to third place on the Betway Premiership table with 27 points from 14 matches, one point behind second-placed Orlando Pirates, who have two games in hand.
Mamelodi Sundowns, who moved to the top of the standings on Monday after defeating Orbit College, lead the table with 29 points from 14 matches.
Playing at the iconic FNB Stadium — venue of the 2010 FIFA World Cup final — Chiefs completed a league double over Arrows, having also beaten them in the first round fixture in September at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
The decisive moment came in the 69th minute, when Flavio da Silva scored the winning goal following a clever reverse pass from Gastón Sirino. It was a memorable moment for da Silva, who netted his first goal on his Kaizer Chiefs debut.
Golden Arrows were without leading PSL scorer Junior Dion, who has seven goals this season, with the club confirming that the striker was sidelined through injury. His absence was evident, as Arrows lacked a cutting edge in attack, with the Ivorian forward usually a constant menace to opposing defences.
Chiefs enjoyed a relatively comfortable evening at the back and capitalised on their dominance. They took the lead in the 39th minute when Lebohang Maboe’s free kick was headed goalward by da Silva. With the ball dropping on the goal line and Arrows unable to clear, Aden McCarthy bundled it over to open his PSL scoring account.
However, replays suggested McCarthy was in an offside position. With no VAR in the Premiership, the goal stood.
Arrows’ best chance came in the second half when Siyanda Ndlovu broke free of his markers and struck the outside of the post in the 71st minute, narrowly missing an equaliser.
The defeat leaves Arrows without a win in their last five matches across all competitions, having lost all of them.
For Kaizer Chiefs, the result ended a four-match winless run in all competitions and provided a positive start to the new year.
