Moloisane, Mojela sting Congo giants AS Vita as Stellenbosch continue African onslaught

Stellenbosch FC put one foot into the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup with a commanding performance, defeating DR Congo giants AS Vita 2-0 in the second preliminary round at Cape Town Stadium on Friday.

Thabo Moloisane and Lehlohonolo Mojela sealed the victory within the opening 12 minutes as the Maroons travel to Kinshasa for the away leg scheduled for next week on Sunday, 22 September (16:00) at Stade des Martyrs.

Stellies finished third in the Premiership last season and qualified for CAF's secondary club competition, their first taste of continental football in their eight year existence.

The Maroons has stormed into the Confederation Cup, effortlessly dismantling Eswatini's Nsingizini Hotspurs with an 8-0 aggregate win in the preliminary first round to set up the clash against the Black Dolphins.

With a rich history that includes a 1973 CAF Champions League triumph and close calls in 1981 and 2014, Vita are no strangers to African glory. They also narrowly missed out on the Confederation Cup title in 2018, making this clash on paper Stellies' toughest test yet.

The Cape Winelands outfit, fresh from securing a spot in the MTN8 final after defeating Mamelodi Sundowns, now face defending champions Orlando Pirates on 5 October.

However, their CAF Confederation Cup journey against Nsingizini Hotspurs came with a twist.

Due to heavy rainfall and rugby matches damaging the pitches at Danie Craven and Athlone Stadiums, Stellies had to relocate both legs to Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium - a temporary home far from the Western Cape.

Meanwhile, Cape Town Stadium's dates were full as well until Friday evening, and Steve Barker's men delighted their supporters with their performance. 

Beneath the glowing floodlights,