The match turned in Chiefs’ favour midway through the first half when Stellenbosch’s Siviwe Nkwali was shown a red card for a foul on Mduduzi Shabalala just outside the box.
From the resulting free kick, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo produced a moment of brilliance, curling the ball past the keeper to give Amakhosi the lead.
Despite being a man down, Stellenbosch refused to surrender, pushing forward in search of an equaliser. However, their hopes were dashed deep into added time when Chiefs were awarded a penalty in what proved to be the final action of the match. Glody Lilepo calmly slotted home from the spot, sealing the win and sparking jubilant celebrations from the travelling Amakhosi supporters.
The victory is a promising start for Chiefs, but fans will remember that they also began last season with back-to-back wins under then-new coach Nasreddine Nabi – only to stumble against Mamelodi Sundowns in their third fixture. That 2-1 defeat, marred by officiating controversy, signaled the start of another inconsistent campaign.
Currently, Chiefs are without coach Nabi, who is in Tunisia attending to a family emergency. His return date remains uncertain.
Elsewhere in the league, defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns were held to a 1-1 draw by Chippa United, while Orlando Pirates suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sekhukhune United.
With an exciting season ahead and early surprises already on the board, the next few fixtures promise to be just as unpredictable.