Kaizer Chiefs bowed out in the first round of the Carling Knockout at the hands of Stellenbosch FC in a dramatic penalty shootout at the DHL Stadium.
The club’s midfield enforcer, Sibongiseni Mthethwa, was awarded the Man of the Match prize following a hard shift in the 0-0 draw inside 120 minutes.
Mthethwa later said he was disappointed with the result and apologised to the broken Chiefs fans.
KAIZER CHIEFS MIDFIELDER SIBONGISENI MTHETHWA WINS CARLING KNOCKOUT R100 000 MAN OF THE MATCH PRIZE
The clash finished 0-0 after extra time before it was decided on penalties, with Stellies’ goalkeeper Sage Stephens turning into the hero.
Stephens had replaced the injured Oscar Masuluke in the 61st minute, and later denied Tashreeq Morris and Dillan Solomons’ attempts to seal a 6-5 shootout victory.
By then, the fans had already made their call. By the 80th-minute voting deadline, Mthethwa was confirmed as the best player on the grass. He had tightened the midfield, broken up attacks, and won duels to keep the Chiefs in the contest.
“There is nothing we can do,” he told SuperSport TV after the game. “We tried our best. What can I say, we just didn’t have luck.
“I want to apologise to our fans. I know how much they wanted us to win this game. I’m really sorry, we tried our best,” he added.
The Chiefs star said they will now shift focus to the Nedbank Cup next year while continuing their push in the league. He urged supporters not to lose faith, stressing that players never step onto the pitch intending to lose, but setbacks remain part of the game.
Watch the match highlights here.
FROM A SQUAD PLAYER TO A REGULAR STAR
Last season, Mthethwa spent more time on the sidelines as he was left out of 17 matchday squads and unused as a substitute in three more. This season? Ten games, ten starts.
The Escourt-born midfielder has gone from forgotten squad member to one of Amakhosi’s most trusted soldiers.