Andre de Jong stars for victorious Stellenbosch FC after seven-goal thriller against Golden Arrows

In an exhilarating showdown at Athlone Stadium on Wednesday night, Stellenbosch FC emerged victorious in a breathtaking 4-3 contest against Lamontville Golden Arrows.

The result marked the highest number of goals scored in a Betway Premiership match this season.

The encounter was a rollercoaster of emotions, with the lead changing three times as both sides battled fiercely for supremacy.

Stellenbosch started brightly, displaying their attacking intent and pushing forward with dynamic movement that frequently unsettled the Golden Arrows defence. However, despite their early dominance, they struggled to capitalise on their chances as the KwaZulu-Natal outfit held firm under pressure.

Langelihle Phili opened the scoring for Stellenbosch in the 13th minute, courtesy of a clever assist from teammate Devin Titus.

Just as it seemed Stellies would head into the break with their advantage intact, Siyanda Mthanti equalised for Arrows with a well-placed finish following a quality cross from Thokozani Lukhele, sending the teams into half-time level at 1-1.

The second half exploded into life, with end-to-end exchanges keeping the crowd on edge. New Zealander André De Jong restored Stellenbosch’s lead with a header shortly after the restart, only for Ivorian forward Sédé Junior Dion to hit back five minutes later to make it 2-2.

Not to be outdone, De Jong struck again in the 63rd minute, pouncing on a loose ball in a crowded goalmouth to put Stellenbosch 3-2 up.

But Arrows refused to back down. Another Ivorian, Isaac Cissé, levelled the score once more with a beautifully struck effort from the edge of the area, setting up a dramatic finale at 3-3 with 17 minutes remaining.

As the clock wound down, the tension reached its peak. Stellenbosch substitutes Muzomuhle Khanyi and Ibraheem Jabaar combined brilliantly in the closing stages, with Jabaar providing the crucial assist for Khanyi to slot home the decisive goal.

That strike sealed a thrilling 4-3 victory for Stellenbosch — a pulsating encounter that will go down as one of the season’s standout spectacles.