Sekhukhune burst Kaizer Chiefs’ bubble, take top spot in Premiership

A keyed-up Sekhukhune United burst Kaizer Chiefs' unbeaten bubble in the 2025-26 Betway Premiership, as coach Eric Tinkler's team rode Bradley Grobler's brace to a 3-1 win at FNB Stadium on Tuesday night.

Former Bafana Bafana striker Grobler put Sekhukhune ahead in the just the fifth minute. Chiefs struck back quickly via Flavio Silva's goal in the 13th.

As at the start, 37-year-old Grobler again took just over four minutes into the second half to restore his side's lead, notching up his brace in the 50th. Another veteran, Thabang Monare, added the third for the visitors in the 56th.

Both sides went into the game with four wins and a draw from five matches, level on 13 points and just separated by goal difference, with Sekhukhune in second place and Chiefs, surprisingly, third.

With the win, United went to the top of the table on 16 points, two ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns after 16 games. Chiefs remained in third.

Amakhosi's strong opening run under coach Nasreddine Nabi has been one of the stories of the league season given their one trophy — under the Tunisian with the Nedbank Cup at the end of last campaign — in 10 years and ninth and 10th-place league finishes in the last two years.

They will be concerned at conceding three goals, but Amakhosi supporters might not fret too much that the result might herald the start of a slide.

Chiefs remain a far more exciting combination — their signings still putting in promising performances in an often end-to-end encounter where Sekhukhune goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata denied the home side — than last campaign's dull and inconsistent combination under Nabi.

Sekhukhune, consistently competitive since their promotion in 2021 and fourth-placed finishers last season, are riding a wave under Tinkler — appointed to the Limpopo club in March.

United opened the scoring when, from a long ball punted up from left-back Vuyo Letlapa a strong flick-on found right-back Vusi Matsimbi in too much space on the right as he advanced and squared for Grobler, the striker easily burying the chance.

Chiefs got themselves straight back into the game. Gaston Sirino produced a sublime pass down the left channel into the path of the strong run of Glody Lilepo to skip and bulldoze past two defenders and pass inside for Silva to scramble in past Nsabata's initial stop. 

It took almost the same amount of time from the restart — just over four minutes — for United and Grobler to get into the lead again. After Amakhosi right-back Reeve Frosler lost the ball, an intricate short-passing movement involving Ellis Rammala and Vusi Mncube ended with Grobler turning and finishing past Brandon Petersen.

A swerving, dipping free-kick from Lilepo from the left of the box almost brought Chiefs level quickly again, Nsabata having to contort himself to tip over.

This time, though, Sekhukhune showed their intent capitalising on going ahead and soon it was 3-1. Nsabata's ball punted upfield was deftly flicked on by Grober into the path of Monare to steam through and bulge the net with a clean strike past Petersen.