By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GalloImages.
Defending champions Kaizer Chiefs were eliminated from the Nedbank Cup following a 2-1 Round of 32 defeat by Stellenbosch FC at the DHL stadium on Wednesday evening.
Chiefs struggled to defend a set piece and found themselves behind after 10 minutes into the match, Flavio da Silva attempted to clear danger but kicked Thabo Moloisane in the face inside the box to earn Stellies a penalty.
Former Nigeria Under-17 midfielder Ibraheem Jabaar then stepped up to beat Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen from the spot. A spectacular strike by Devon Titus from outside the box 13 minutes later, doubled the home side’s advantage, leaving Chiefs with a huge comeback task.
An opportunity for Chiefs to reduce the arrears went begging in the 36th minute when Mduduzi Shabalala broke loose to come face-to-face with Stellenbosch goalkeeper Sage Stephens, but he was slow to execute as he opted to dribble and was blocked by his marker.
After being introduced at the beginning of the second half, Glodi Lilepo came close but agonisingly watched his effort crash against the woodwork seven minutes after the restart.
Minutes later, Chiefs were handed a penalty when Mosa Lebusa handled Da Silva’s cross and the Equatorial Guinea striker converted his kick.
The Soweto giants pushed a lot of bodies forward in the final minutes in a desperate attempt for the equaliser, but they were unable to break down the Maroons.
Meanwhile Mamelodi Sundowns avoided a scare against Gamora United of Motsepe Foundation Championship, winning 2-1 at Loftus Versfeld in their Nedbank Cup round of 32 matchup.