Extra time was coming. Kwayiba had other ideas
Some cup ties are won. Others are simply survived until somebody holds their nerve. In the Winelands on Sunday night, with extra time moments away, a foul in the box handed Stellenbosch one kick to end it, and Sinoxolo Kwayiba did not waste it.
The Stellenbosch v AmaZulu result: Stellenbosch 2, AmaZulu 1, a last-eight knockout cup tie settled at Danie Craven Stadium. Chumani Butsaka put the home side ahead, an own goal pulled AmaZulu level before half-time, and Kwayiba’s penalty in the 97th minute won it. Goal’s full-time report has all three goals; Pan Africa Football confirms the 2-1 and Kwayiba’s late penalty, and Sunday World the score.
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Result | Stellenbosch 2-1 AmaZulu |
| Half-time | 1-1 |
| Stellenbosch goals | Chumani Butsaka (28′), Sinoxolo Kwayiba (penalty, 90+7′) |
| AmaZulu goal | Own goal, Gopolang Taunyana (first half) |
| Venue | Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch |
| Coaches | Gavin Hunt (Stellenbosch), Arthur Zwane (AmaZulu) |
| Semi-final | Orlando Pirates |
A bright start, then a slip at the back
Stellenbosch struck first. On 28 minutes Raoul Daniels set up Butsaka, and the hosts were in front, Goal reports.
The lead did not last long. A few minutes later, by Goal’s account, a lapse in the Stellenbosch defence ended with Gopolang Taunyana turning the ball into his own net. One each, and that is how it stayed into the break.
Stellenbosch v AmaZulu result: possession for Usuthu, the ending for Stellies
After the break the pattern of the whole night held: AmaZulu had the ball, Stellenbosch had the threat. Goal’s numbers tell the story: AmaZulu had 60% of possession and completed 84% of their passes, yet did not put a single shot on target all night. Stellenbosch managed four. Arthur Zwane changed things at the restart, sending Keegan Allan on for Sandile Mthethwa, and Hunt brought on Ashley Du Preez seven minutes from time, Goal reports.
Neither side found a way through in normal time. Then, in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Stellenbosch were awarded a penalty for a foul inside the area. Goal does not name who was brought down, and we have not found a report that does. Kwayiba stepped up and scored. Extra time never came.
Why it matters
On paper this was AmaZulu’s tie to lose. They arrived third in the Betway Premiership on a run of six straight wins, and Stellenbosch arrived eighth after a home defeat by Chippa United, as our Stellenbosch v AmaZulu preview set out. Cup history pointed the other way, and it was right again.
Kwayiba is becoming this club’s answer to a closing tie. He scored twice late on at Durban City in the last 16 (our report from Chatsworth), and he has done it again here. Our One to Watch on Kwayiba is worth a read if you are only now catching up with him.
Our view: this is ScoreLine’s opinion. AmaZulu will feel hard done by, and the possession figure supports them. But possession with no shot on target is control, not threat, and a side chasing a semi-final needs both. Stellenbosch were less tidy and more dangerous, and in a knockout match that is usually enough. Zwane’s settled team has been the story of Usuthu’s season; on Sunday it needed someone to break the pattern, and nobody did.
Neither Hunt nor Zwane was quoted after the match in the reports we had seen by 21:12 on Sunday.
What comes next
Stellenbosch’s reward is Orlando Pirates, who reached this stage with a 1-0 win over Sekhukhune United on Saturday. The draw, made in Polokwane after the evening’s other quarter-final, also paired Mamelodi Sundowns with Kaizer Chiefs, who came from behind to beat Siwelele (our Chiefs v Siwelele report). That makes the last four Sundowns, Chiefs, Pirates and Stellenbosch. The league had not confirmed dates, venues or kick-off times for either semi-final when we checked.
For AmaZulu, the consolation is the league, where they still sit in the top three. For Stellenbosch, a team their coach said had barely started its season now has a cup semi-final to play for.