What Went Wrong for Kaizer Chiefs vs Sekhukhune United? Kaizer Chiefs’ first loss of the season.

Kaizer Chiefs’ perfect start to the season came to a decisive end as they suffered their first loss and conceded their first goals of the 2025/26 Betway Premiership campaign. League leaders Sekhukhune United were clinical and disciplined, securing a 3-1 victory that cemented their spot at the top of the table.

The match began at a frantic pace, and Sekhukhune wasted no time in breaking the deadlock. In the 5th minute, Tsepo Matsimbi delivered a precise cross that found striker Bradley Grobler, who made a well-timed run to slide the ball into the net at the far post.

The home crowd’s silence was short-lived, however, as Kaizer Chiefs responded just eight minutes later. A driving run from Pule Mmodi and a cross from Glody Lilepo created a moment of chaos in the Sekhukhune box. The ball was not properly cleared by goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata, and Chiefs’ new signing, Flávio Silva, was perfectly positioned to tap the ball into the empty net for his second goal in two games.

Despite Chiefs pushing for a second before the break, the teams went into halftime level at 1-1.

The second half, however, belonged entirely to Sekhukhune. Just five minutes after the restart, Bradley Grobler completed his brace, finding space in the box to turn and fire a shot past Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen. The decisive blow came in the 56th minute when Thabang Monare, a former Chiefs player celebrating his 36th birthday, capitalized on a defensive lapse. He raced onto a through ball and calmly slotted it past Petersen to make the score 3-1.

• Defensive Vulnerabilities: After five games without conceding a goal, the Chiefs’ defense looked disorganized and vulnerable, particularly in the second half. They failed to effectively clear the ball on two of Sekhukhune’s goals, leading directly to easy finishes for the opposition. The high defensive line was also beaten on the counter-attack, exposing their backline.

 

• Lack of Clinical Finishing: While Chiefs had moments of pressure, they struggled to convert their chances. In the first half, they created opportunities that they couldn’t capitalize on, and in the second half, they couldn’t find a way to penetrate Sekhukhune’s well-organized defense, even with late substitutions.

 

• Absence of Key Players: The team felt the absence of in-form right-back Thabiso Monyane, who was out with an injury. His replacement, Reeve Frosler, struggled to contain Sekhukhune’s quick wingers.

 

• Misplaced Passes and Errors: The final goal was a prime example of individual error. A loose pass in the midfield was intercepted by Monare, who punished the mistake with a long-range strike that sealed the game. These types of errors were uncharacteristic of Chiefs’ early-season form.

 

The loss serves as a reality check for Kaizer Chiefs, ending their impressive unbeaten run and highlighting areas that coach Nasreddine Nabi’s side will need to address to stay in the title race.