Stellies stun Zamalek to advance to Confed semifinals

Stellenbosch put in a solid performance to stun defending champions Zamalek 1-0 in the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinal second leg at Cairo International Stadium on Wednesday to advance to the semifinal.

Sihle Nduli scored the only goal late in the second half to send the Cape Winelands side through to the last four of the competition in their debut season. 

After playing to a goalless draw in the first leg in Cape Town, pressure was on the home side as they needed to avoid conceding an away goal. But Stellies had other ideas, playing without fear in Cairo against a side who have extensive experience in continental football.

Steve Barker’s charges will now feel they can go all the way and win the title. The match got off to a lively start as both teams looked to put pressure on each other earlier on.  Andre de Jong went close for Stellies with a strike inside the area which went over the bar.

Zamalek dominated possession as the first half went on but found it tough to break down Stellies’ defence, which thwarted every attempt by the Egyptians. 

The Cape Winelands side, however, didn’t sit back as they also had their moments, which the home side dealt with.

As Zamalek continued to have the majority of possession, Stellies were disciplined in their defence and finished the half stronger. Zamalek came back with more energy in the second half, but were not able to break down the Stellies’ defence.

The hosts were restricted to a single shot on target late in the second half, and this shows how well Stellies defended. 

With the match seemingly heading for a draw and potential penalties, Stellies netted the decisive goal with 10 minutes remaining when Nduli slotted home after Zamalek’s defence failed to clear the ball inside the box.

That goal meant Zamalek needed to score twice to win the match and qualify for the semifinals due to the away goal.

The hosts threw everything forward but Stellies defended well for their victory to progress to the semis.  Stellies will now face Simba in the semifinal. The Tanzanian side are coached by former Orlando Pirates’ assistant Fadlu Davids.

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