Kaizer Chiefs new signing Glody Lilepo's first-half strike at Athlone Stadium was all the Soweto giants needed to complete a double over Stellenbosch, after a 2-1 win in the initial meeting.
Last weekend, the Glamour Boys had controversially lost the Soweto Derby against old rivals Orlando Rivals by a solitary goal. They followed up with a 2-2 draw at the same venue – the FNB Stadium, versus AmaZulu.
Having signed quality players in Thabo Cele, Glody Lilepo and Tashreeq Morris, coach Nasreddine Nabi had no excuse for not getting maximum points against the Stellies. Prior to the Friday encounter, Chiefs had won four out of the last five meetings, losing only once which was another motivation needed.
Lilepo gives Chiefs a dream start
From the first whistle, the Soweto giants showed hunger and determination to get an early goal to destabilize the home team.
New boys Cele, Morris and Lilepo did offer inspiration to Amakhosi as Gaston Sirino provided the much-needed creativity from the number 10 position. The former Mamelodi Sundowns player was key to Chiefs goal in the fourth minute.
He started a short corner to Pule Mmodi who played a wall-pass to the South American. Sirino played an inviting cross in the danger zone, and the unmarked Lilepo burried it past Sage Stephens.
Despite a handful of chances by either team, the first half ended with a slim 1-0 lead in favour of Amakhosi.
The story of the second-half
Amakhosi were determined to get a second goal after the break; they came closest in the 55th minute but Lilepo chose to shoot instead of passing the ball to the unmarked Mmodi in the six-yard area.
Pule Mmodi had a chance as well in the 67th minute but his effort narrowly missed the target.
However, it mattered not as the Glamour Boys collected maximum points to go fourth on the table with 25 points, one more than Sekhukhune United who have two games at hand. Stellenbosch are eighth with 20 points from 14 games.
At the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, strikes from Rowan Human and Wayde Jooste sealed maximum points as AmaZulu beat Marumo Gallants 2-0 to go sixth on the table with 23 points.
