Chiefs Start Season With A Win Against 10-Man Stellenbosch

Unlike Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs kicked off their 2025/26 season with a victory, defeating a determined Stellenbosch side 2-0 at a sold-out Athlone Stadium on Sunday.

The match, however, was heavily influenced by a red card in the first half. Stellenbosch defender Siviwe Nkwali was sent off just 13 minutes into his debut for denying a goal-scoring opportunity to Mdu Shabalala. This meant Stellies played with 10 men for over 77 minutes.

The packed stadium was a testament to the fans’ eagerness for local football, and the on-field action quickly heated up. The key moment occurred when Nkwali used his hands to block a run by Shabalala, leading to his immediate dismissal by referee Eugene Mdluli.

Nkosingiphile Ngcobo stepped up to the resulting free-kick and curled a brilliant shot past goalkeeper Sage Stephens, giving Chiefs a 1-0 lead.

Despite being a man and a goal down, Stellenbosch refused to give up. They tested goalkeeper Brandon Petersen repeatedly. Wandile Duba cleared a powerful header off the line from a corner Godswill Enyinnaya, and the post came to Chiefs’ rescue twice, first from a shot by Devin Titus and then from a brilliant free-kick by Sanele Barns.

Stellenbosch continued to press, but Chiefs eventually sealed the victory in optional time. Omega Mdaka’s wild kick in the box struck striker Ashley du Preez, leading to a penalty. Glody Lilepo confidently converted the spot-kick, sending Stephens the wrong way to make it 2-0.

This victory puts Chiefs on par with other opening-day winners, including Sekhukhune, AmaZulu, Marumo Gallants, Durban City, and table-toppers Siwelele. Chiefs have now defeated Stellenbosch four times in a row, a streak that includes a Nedbank Cup quarter-final win last season.