With many stadiums not having decent playing pitches, Stellenbosch FC have been forced to move their big, opening league match against Kaizer Chiefs on Sunday from the DHL Cape Town Stadium to Athlone Stadium.
The 2010 World Cup venue’s playing surface requires attention, as demonstrated last Sunday when Stellies eliminated AmaZulu from the MTN8 3-2.
The pitch was sandy, bumpy, and unplayable, and as a result, the hosts decided to move down the road to the Cape Flats in Athlone.
It will be Chiefs’ first league outing of the 2025/26 season as they begin their 56th season in the top flight of South African football.
This particular fixture pits Chiefs against Stellenbosch for the 13th time in the league. Amakhosi maintain their dominance, having won six of these games, drawn three, and lost three.
Chiefs have the upper hand
Last season, Chiefs defeated Stellenbosch three times across all competitions, winning the away league match 1-0, the home game 2-1, and the Nedbank Cup quarterfinal match 3-1, according to the Chiefs’ website.
Chiefs have also fared well on their travels to face Stellenbosch, winning on four previous visits, while losing once and drawing once.
Amakhosi will be aiming to defeat Stellenbosch for the third time in a row in the league and for the fourth time in a row away from home.
Stellies’ dangerous forward Lehlogonolo Mojela said he was happy to make his comeback from injury during Stellenbosch FC’s 3-2 victory over AmaZulu in the MTN8 quarterfinals.
Having scored six times in his first nine appearances for Stellenbosch, Mojela has been sidelined since December, when he underwent surgery to address a recurrence of a pre-existing knee injury.
He missed the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign.
Stellies players well-motivated
Following extensive rehabilitation, the 28-year-old made his long-awaited return to action on Sunday when he featured from the substitutes’ bench in the club’s season-opening win over AmaZulu.
“It’s a wonderful feeling because it’s been a while since I last made a matchday squad. We are all well-motivated for the weekend’s game against Kaizer Chiefs,” Mojela told the club’s website.
“Last season, we lost three times against them, so we must rectify those mistakes and come back with the win.”
“The moment the coach announced the team, I was almost emotional because I had been out of action for a long time.”
He continued: “I still need to work hard to get back to where I was last season, but just getting a couple of minutes again was important, so I was happy to make my return.
“After the first tackle they made on me, I gained confidence because I could feel that I was back. I felt good physically, and everything felt simple again, and it was nice to get the win as well.”
