Drama in the Premiership: Stellies shine, Pirates scrape through, Chiefs stay goal-shy

It was a night of contrasting fortunes in the Betway Premiership on Wednesday – Stellenbosch and Orlando Pirates claimed hard-fought wins while Kaizer Chiefs, for all their attacking flair, once again drew blanks. 

At Athlone Stadium, Stellenbosch outlasted Golden Arrows in a seven-goal spectacle that had everything from slick finishes to nervy defending. In Soweto, Pirates relied on an early strike to edge Polokwane City 1-0, while Chiefs’ misfiring frontline endured another frustrating outing in a goalless draw with Siwelele FC.

Stellenbosch edge Arrows in seven-goal thriller

In one of the most entertaining clashes of the Betway Premiership season so far, Stellenbosch FC outlasted Golden Arrows 4–3 in a pulsating contest at Athlone Stadium on Wednesday night — the highest-scoring league game of the campaign.

The Cape Winelands side began on the front foot, testing the visitors early with a series of sharp attacks. Langelihle Phili eventually broke the deadlock in the 13th minute, finishing off a move created by Devin Titus’s clever assist.

Despite Stellenbosch’s dominance, Arrows refused to fold. Just before halftime, Siyanda Mthanti levelled matters after connecting with a fine cross from Thokozani Lukhele, sending the teams into the break tied at 1–1.

The second half exploded into life, with both teams trading blows in a relentless exchange of goals. New Zealander André De Jong restored Stellenbosch’s lead soon after the restart with a precise header, but Ivorian forward Sédé Junior Dion responded five minutes later to make it 2–2.

De Jong struck again in the 63rd minute, pouncing on a loose ball to complete his brace and hand the hosts another lead. Yet Arrows continued to fight back. Another Ivorian, Isaac Cissé, found the net with a crisp strike from the edge of the area to make it 3–3 with just under 20 minutes remaining.

The decisive moment came late on when substitutes Muzomuhle Khanyi and Ibraheem Jabaar combined superbly, with Jabaar teeing up Khanyi to slot home the winner. The 4–3 victory sealed all three points for Stellenbosch and capped a night of high drama that will be remembered as one of the season’s standout encounters.

Pirates grind out narrow win

At Orlando Stadium, Orlando Pirates laboured to a 1–0 victory over Polokwane City, doing just enough to close the gap on log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. The win also provided a timely confidence boost ahead of their must-win CAF Champions League second-leg clash against Saint Eloi Lupopo on Saturday.

Pirates scored early when a cross from Oswin Appollis was parried by goalkeeper Brian Bwire into the path of Moremi, who slotted home. Although Rise and Shine came close to equalising through Sibusiso Tshabalala’s header, Pirates held firm to secure all three points despite failing to convert several second-half chances.

Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side will take heart from the result, though their wastefulness in front of goal remains a concern as continental duties loom large.

Chiefs fire blanks again

And on the subject of wastefulness in front of goal, Kaizer Chiefs’ scoring troubles persisted as they were held to a goalless draw by Siwelele FC. Despite numerous attacking changes from coach Cedric Kaze, Amakhosi again lacked the finishing touch that has haunted their season.

Etiosa Ighodaro made his debut alongside Wandile Duba, but the combination failed to spark the desired breakthrough. Chiefs created several promising opportunities — including a Mduduzi Shabalala effort that struck the upright — yet couldn’t find the back of the net.

The stalemate leaves Chiefs frustrated and still searching for the formula to turn possession and pressure into goals.