By The Numbers: Kaizer Chiefs crisis worsens

Kaizer Chiefs’ recent crisis reached a new low on Tuesday evening when they fell to yet another defeat. On the balance of play, Chiefs were lucky to escape with just a 1-0 scoreline, on an evening that did not go according to plan from the pre-match preparation all the way to the final whistle. Players lost to injury, an attack that failed to tick, and they even finished the game with 10 men, having exhausted all their substitutes before a late injury forced Nkanyiso Shinga off the field. Meanwhile, TS Galaxy’s slump also continued with a fifth consecutive league defeat, while Stellenbosch came back home with a point they will be grateful for. Laduma Analytics dives into the numbers.

Richards Bay (1.12 xG) 1-0 (0.08 xG) Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs’ season hit another nadir as they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to Richards Bay on Tuesday night. Despite the narrow scoreline, the xG timeline reveals a dominant performance by the Natal Rich Boys, who finished with significantly higher xG compared to Chiefs. The match was largely even in terms of shots until the 20-minute mark, but Richards Bay steadily pulled away, creating higher-quality chances throughout the second half.

The decisive moment came in the 69th minute, as Bradley Cross’ mistake ended up with Thulani Gumede rifling in the winner. While Chiefs huffed and puffed, they struggled to penetrate the Richards Bay defence, resulting in their worst second half of recent memory.

8 –  touches in the opposition box for Chiefs (compared to Richards Bay’s 26)

0 – shots for Chiefs in the 2nd half, the first time this has happened for them post-pandemic

0 – shots on target for Chiefs all game, only the fourth time this has happened for them post-pandemic.

The Richards Bay away trip is slowly proving to be a bogey fixture for Chiefs. This is the third consecutive season where Chiefs have lost this away game (also 0-1 in April 2024 0-2 in March 2025).

Siwelele (1.50 xG) 0-0 (0.41 xG) Stellenbosch

Siwelele coach Lehlohonolo Seema will wonder how his side didn’t take all three points after creating good opportunities off 12 attempts against Stellenbosch. Christian Saile was the danger man, having four attempts on the night. Several big chances came to Siwelele in the first half that failed to result in a goal. Stellenbosch, meanwhile, were largely kept at arm’s length, finishing with a low xG total and only managing to create minor threats in the final 15 minutes.

68% – win probability for Siwelele in this game (compared to just 8% for Stellenbosch)

1.56 – xG for Siwelele in this game (compared to just 0.41xG for Stellenbosch)