Harambee Stars defender Brian Mandela could win his first trophy with his new club Stellenbosch FC just one month after joining.
Stellenbosch ironically dumped Mandela’s former club Mamelodi Sundowns out of the MTN8 after securing a 1-0 victory in the semi-final second leg on Sunday to sail through after a 2-0 aggregate win.
Mandela was on the bench for Sunday’s clash and although he was not involved, he must have been delighted by what he saw as his team outclassed the Premier Soccer League champions to claim their place in the final where they will take on Orlando Pirates, who have won the trophy in the last two years.
After a goalless first half, Stellenbosch broke the deadlock soon after restart through Bradley Mojela and held firm with Sundowns failing to create much to trouble them.
It was a statement win for Stellenbosch and revenge of some sort as they were eliminated by Sundowns in last season’s semi-final.
Mandela can now look forward to winning a trophy barely a month after joining when Stellenbosch and Pirates clash in the final on October 5.
The Kenyan international was released by Sundowns at the end of last season after the expiry of his contract, ending a three-year spell that had seen him win as many league titles.
His spell with the Brazilians was, however, a frustrating one as injuries and poor form limited his involvement and he featured just nine times in 2023-24.
Having spent nearly three months without a club, Stellenbosch took chance on him, looking to benefit from his experience, especially after losing key defender and captain Deano van Royen to Pirates.
