Free State Stars beat Chippa United 3-0

It was Wilfred Mugeyi's first game in charge of the Chilli Boys, but it was another debutant, Stars' Danny Venter, who stole the headlines, scoring a brace to go with Luyolo Nomandela's late strike.

Chippa had the first shot in anger, with James Okwuosa sending a 20-yard effort wide in the ninth minute. Soon after it was the turn of former Stars man Rudiger Gilbert to test Tshepo Motsoeneng, but the goalkeeper made a comfortable save.

On the half-hour mark Stars made an early change by bringing Noah Chivuta off the bench to replace Anver Esterhuizen. The Zambian soon provided an assist for Venter to fire home a left-footed effort in the 40th minute, putting the hosts 1-0 up.

The Chilli Boys almost came up with a reply early in the second half, with Okwuosa heading wide of the target from Diego Brown’s corner-kick, while a minute later Stars’ Fikru Tefera forced Kassaly into a sharp save.

Chippa made a double change with 20 minutes to play, bringing on Welcome Qalanto and Mkhanyiseli Siwahla, but it was Gilbert who nearly scored with a shot on 79 minutes that flashed over the bar.

Five minutes later Siwahla drove an effort on target from the right side of the penalty area, but Motsoeneng was on hand to parry the ball to safety.

Venter capped off the perfect debut performance with a second goal in injury-time to secure all three points, crashing home a shot from just outside the box after good work by Nomandela down the left.

And there was also time for Nomandela to find the back of the net himself, scoring from close range by sweeping home a pass from Enva Wiltwer.