Stellenbosch make Absa Premiership debut

by Staff Reporter

Friday Aug 02, 2019. 12:56

Stellenbosch FC will make their debut in the Absa Premiership with a match away to Chippa United at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday 3 August 2019, kick-off at 15h00.

Chippa ended last season with a 1-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs on May 11, a result which secured a 12th place finish on the log. They recorded seven wins, nine draws and 14 defeats for a haul of 30 points.

The Chilli Boys claimed 16 points at home last season: P15 W4 D4 L7. Their victory over Chiefs broke a five-game winless streak as hosts and helped them avoid relegation.

Stellenbosch secured promotion to the Premier Soccer League by ending top of the 2018/19 National First Division log. The Cape team recorded 16 wins, eight draws and six defeats for a haul of 56 points.

In away matches, Stellies claimed 27 points last term: P15 W8 D3 L4.

Though this will be the club’s first season in the top flight under the guise of Stellenbosch, they have previously competed in the Absa Premiership as Vasco Da Gama.

Vasco competed in the 2010/11 season and finished second from bottom with a haul of 30 points. They entered the promotion/relegation playoffs and were beaten by Black Leopards in the semifinals (before the current format of a three-team mini league) to drop back into the second tier.

In head-to-head terms, this will be the first top-flight meeting of Chippa United and Stellenbosch. The teams did have four clashes in the National First Division when Stellenbosch were still known as Vasco Da Gama in the 2011/12 and 2013/14 seasons: each side claimed one win, while two games ended in draws.