SuperSport United’s bid to avoid relegation suffered a significant blow on Saturday as they were defeated 2-1 by Stellenbosch, leaving their survival hopes hanging in the balance.
A disastrous first-half performance from the Pretoria-based side proved costly, as they fell to a controlled Stellenbosch side that capitalized on their early dominance.
The hosts were in full control from the start, with SuperSport unable to match their intensity or organization.
Stellenbosch made the most of their dominance, scoring twice before the break—first through Sanele Barns, followed by Devin Titus, leaving SuperSport with a mountain to climb in the second half.
Read: Kaizer Chiefs’ top-eight hopes slowly fading away after Sekhukhune draw
Despite a more spirited performance after the interval, SuperSport could not break through the resolute Stellenbosch defense, with goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke playing a pivotal role in keeping his side ahead.
Masuluke’s performance earned him Man of the Match honors, as he pulled off a series of crucial saves, denying SuperSport a way back into the game.
In the end, SuperSport’s efforts were not enough, and the loss left them languishing in 14th place on the Betway Premiership standings, with just 26 points—level with Cape Town City, who are also embroiled in a relegation battle.
Although SuperSport does hold a game in hand, that slender advantage will count for little if their inconsistency persists in the final stretch of the season.
Following the defeat, interim coach Andre Arendse did not mince his words when assessing his team’s performance. He described the first half as “embarrassing” and lamented the lack of urgency and discipline shown by his players during that period.
However, Arendse also acknowledged the improved effort in the second half, commending the team for showing fight and determination despite the odds.
“People always say it’s a game of two halves – and today, that’s exactly what it was. We were nowhere in the first half. It was bordering on embarrassing. The players knew it, and I made sure they knew it,” he told SuperSport TV.
“That second-half performance, that’s the team I know – full of grit, fight, never giving up. But that kind of spirit was missing when it mattered most.”
Still, the former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper knows that character alone won’t be enough to survive.
“You can’t hand a quality team like Stellenbosch two goals and think you’ll chase the game back. They’ve got quality players, a top coach – and we simply switched off. Those are the moments we need to eliminate if we want to stay in this league,” he added.
Matsatsantsa have two games left before the end of season, with their next fixture seeing them go up against Orlando Pirates at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday.