Amakhosi maintained their perfect start to the 2026/27 Betway Premiership with a 2-0 win over Sekhukhune United on a cold Wednesday night on the Highveld.
Goal from Luke Baartman and Mduduzi Shabalala put the seal on a much improved second half after a fairly dull goalless opening 45 minutes.
The match began at a pedestrian pace, literally, and never really got going, perhaps as a result of the weather conditions. Both teams were guilty of surrendering possession too easily and there was little constructive play to speak of.
The only notable action of the first half-hour came in the 4th minute when Tshepo Mokoane broke down the right and tried to catch Brandon Petersen napping at his near post with a cheeky effort. The Amakhosi skipper, however, was wise to his trick and tipped the shot over the bar.
The home side probed for openings but found Babina Noko in parsimonious mood after conceding liberally in their previous match. The visitors were compact and organised and despite some clever interchanges among the forwards, with the likes of Langelihle Phile and Asanele Velebayi on the flanks combining with Luke Baartman and Etiosa Ighodaro more centrally, they could not get a sight on goal.
Indeed, Amakhosi’s first effort on target only arrived in the 41st minute, a long range drive from Lebohang Maboe that the Sekhukhune goalkeeper, Toaster Nsabata, saved comfortably. Baartman also tried his luck from range in stoppage time but couldn’t alter the scorecard from 0-0 as they went into the interval.
The pace picked up after the restart but it took a while for the quality of play to catch up.
It came in the 63rd minute when Dillan Solomons exchanged passes with Phili down the right to open up space for the fullback, whose square pass was swept home by Baartman to complete a beautiful move and register his first league goal for the Club.
Sibongiseni Mthethwa, who was imperious all evening, bossing the midfield with his timely interceptions and incisive distribution, almost set up a second with a deft chip to the far post following a swift break, but substitute, Mfundo Vilakazi, couldn’t place his volley on target having snuck into space behind the Sekhukhune defence.
HAPPY MODISE PHOTO