Kaizer Chiefs surged into the Nedbank Cup semi-finals on Saturday evening, dispatching Stellenbosch FC with a convincing 3-1 victory.
Nasreddine Nabi refreshed the starting eleven following their win over Magesi FC, bringing Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, Thabo Cele, Gaston Sirino, and Ashley Du Preez back into the line-up.
The deadlock was broken early when Angolan forward Inacio Miguel calmly slotted home a penalty in the opening quarter. The spot-kick was awarded after Ismail Toure was penalized for handball inside his own six-yard box.
Stellenbosch immediately surged forward in response, and Chumani Butsaka almost equalized, side-footing a cutback just over the bar from the edge of the area.
The relentless pressure from Stellenbosch continued as they pinned Chiefs back, forcing the Soweto giants deep into their own defensive third.
After the interval, the game remained open and end-to-end, with Stellenbosch facing a significant challenge to overturn the deficit.
Stellenbosch's attacking intent remained evident in the final third, with a glancing header from Sihle Noluli forcing a sharp save from Bruce Bvuma.
Their persistence paid off with five minutes remaining when a floated corner kick found Andre De Jong, who expertly headed the ball in off the far post.
As time dwindled away, Chiefs made a late double substitution, introducing Dillon Solomons for Thabo Cele and Mfundo Vilakazi replacing Reeve Frosler. In a dramatic twist in added time, Chiefs snatched the lead back.
CONTROVERSY IN THE END
Pule Mmodi reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box after a corner, firing home from close range. Initial confusion arose as the goal appeared to be disallowed, but after a consultation with the assistant referee, the goal stood.
Mfundo Vilakazi then sealed the victory deep into added time. A misjudged clearance from a Stellenbosch corner fell perfectly for Vilakazi, who raced through and calmly slotted home, confirming Chiefs' dramatic win as the final whistle approached.
