Staff Reporter.
Stellenbosch FC reached the MTN 8 final for the first time in the club’s history after beating Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 in the second leg of their semi-final tie at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday
Sundowns saw most of the ball early on and held up to 75 per cent of the possession count during the first 15 minutes of the match. In spite of Downs’ domination, Stellenbosch looked lively in transition and produced a couple of goal scoring chances during this period.
The Brazilians continued to probe inside the Stellenbosch area as the midway point of the first-half approach, however, the Cape Winelands side proved to be a tough nut to crack defensively.
Amid a slow pace to the game, Stellenbosch appeared to be content at surrendering the ball to their opponents but remained dangerous during counter-attacking situations.
Andre de Jong came close to opening the scoring for his side after forcing a fine reaction save out of Jody February at the half-hour mark from a set piece opportunity on the edge of the 18-yard-area.
Other than de Jong’s effort in the 30th minute, neither side created any notable scoring opportunities en-route to the halftime break. Nevertheless, Stellenbosch kept their 1-0 aggregate advantage intact with 45 minutes left to play at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Stellenbosch hit the ground running in the second-half and took the lead moments after the restart. While February produced another point-blank save to keep Devon Titus at bay following a one-on-one situation inside the Downs box, de Jong picked out Lehlohonolo Mojela with a dangerous pass across the six-yard box before the attacker guided the ball home from close range.
The Western Cape outfit managed to put the ball into the back of the net once more at the hour-mark, with Jayden Adams capping off a swift transition move with a diving header inside the area. However, the Stellenbosch star’s celebration was soon cut short after being found in an offside position.
With a goal to the good, Stellenbosch looked comfortable in possession and often put the Brazilians under pressure while going forward. At the other end of the pitch, Downs remained patient in the attacking build-up play on the edge of the Stellenbosch box.
Stellenbosch endured relentless pressure by the Brazilians during the closing stages of the match while the Tshwane side hit the upright on a couple of occasions in the process. Nonetheless, Stellies’ held onto their lead and saw out the game with the MTN8 finals in sight.
Stellenbosch will now face Orlando Pirates in the final, who clinched a spot by overcoming Cape Town City over two legs. The final will be played in October.