Cupido strike seals win as Stellies kickstart African push

THE 3 000 km-long trip was fast beginning to look futile when substitute Ashley Cupido made it worthwhile for Stellenbosch FC with a last-minute goal that gave them a 1-0 winning start to their CAF Confederation Cup group stage campaign at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

- MATSHELANE MAMABOLO

The team from the Cape Winelands had to travel nearly the full length of the country for a “home” match far from their base, where all of the Danie Craven, Athlone and DHL Cape Town stadiums were unavailable.

The Limpopo soccer faithful were conspicuous by their absence, with fewer than a thousand fans arriving for the afternoon match at the 45 000-seater 2010 Fifa World Cup venue. You would have sworn the stadium was packed, though, when Cupido made a poacher’s run into the box behind the visitors’ defence to see Stellies winning 1-0.