Looking for Soccer News?

Champions League final hero Kingsley Coman revelled in Bayern Munich's European triumph, although the winger admitted that he felt "a bit sick" for runners-up Paris Saint-Germain.

The French winner scored the game's lone goal as Bayern edged PSG 1-0 in Sunday's Champions League final in Lisbon .

Following a back-and-forth first half, Coman provided what ended up being the game-winning goal in the 59th minute, getting on the end of a cross from Joshua Kimmich.

Coman headed home from close range, helping guide Bayern to the club's sixth Champions League title. The goal will be particularly painful for PSG given Coman's history with the Ligue 1 side.

Born in Paris, Coman was with PSG for a decade from 2004 to 2014, making four appearances for the first team before signing with Juventus upon the expiration of his contract.

And Coman admitted that it was difficult to see his boyhood club lose on the biggest stage, although that difficulty did not outweigh the joy that came from guiding Bayern to the title.

"It's an extraordinary feeling, a lot of happiness. I'm 100 per cent Bayern, but it makes me a bit sick for PSG," Coman told RMC Sports.

"We've been trying to keep the game under control from the start. We won and we didn't take a goal today, that's the most important thing.

"Paris played a great game, we played a great game and we're really happy." 

Coman joined Bayern from Juve in 2015 on a two-year loan, which was then made permanent in 2017.

He's scored 33 goals in 161 appearances for the German side, overcoming several major injuries throughout his career.

The winger has now won 12 trophies with Bayern, with Coman notably winning nine consecutive league titles with PSG, Juve and Bayern.

Throughout this season, Coman made 24 Bundesliga appearances, scoring four goals, while also scoring three goals in nine appearances in the Champions League.

On Sunday, Coman's goal saw Bayern join Barcelona and Real Madrid as the only three clubs to score 500 Champions League goals.

Bayern finished this season's competition with 43 goals as the German powerhouses won all 11 of their matches in Champions League play, becoming the first side to go undefeated throughout the tournament .

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar was left in tears after his side suffered a 1-0 Champions League final loss to Bayern Munich in Lisbon.

The Ligue 1 champions succumbed to their German opponents due to a Kingsley Coman header shortly before the hour mark, and the 28-year-old was unable to inspire a comeback as Bayern kept the French outfit at arm’s length.

Neymar, who was consoled in the dugout by sporting director Leonardo at full-time, had one of the outstanding opportunities in the opening period of the game but was denied by an inspired Manuel Neuer, who also stopped a tame effort from Kylian Mbappe before the break.

It leaves the Brazil international star sitting on a single Champions League success, that claimed when he was a member of the Barcelona squad that defeated Juventus 3-1 in 2015. On that occasion, he rounded the scoring off.

He left the Catalans in 2017 to make a world-record move to PSG and has been seeking to justify that controversial decision since then by writing himself into the history of the Parc des Princes side by winning European football’s biggest prize as well as claiming individual honours for himself.

A divisive character throughout his career, he has been winning plaudits in recent months for a more mature and focused approach to the game, which critics believe is bringing the best out of his game for the team.

Previous tilts at the European Cup have ended in disappointment for the former Santos youth, who suffered foot injuries, which prevented him from featuring in vital matches against Real Madrid and Manchester United.

This was Les Parisiens’ best ever run in the competition, overcoming Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta and RB Leipzig in the knockout stages before failing at the final hurdle.

It marks the end of a long season for Neymar, who played 26 times over the course of an injury-hit campaign and scored 19 goals while creating 12 more.

Thoughts will have to quickly turn back towards their Ligue 1 title defence, with the French top flight having started over the weekend.

PSG’s first domestic match of the 2020-21 season will come next Saturday, when they travel to newly-promoted Lens, while a derby with Marseille follows after the September international break.

As far as fan favourites at Chennaiyin FC go, Rafael Crivellaro is right up there.

One can argue about who was the best playmaker in the Indian Super League (ISL) last season, with some brilliant players like Hugo Boumous, Javi Hernandez, Edu Garcia, Dimas Delgado and more featuring in the discussion alongside Rafael Crivellaro.

But there is no doubting the adulation and adoration Crivellaro receives in the city of Chennai down south.

The talented midfielder has handed Chennaiyin FC and their fans a much-needed boost after extending his contract and is set to lead the club's charge in the upcoming ISL season.

The 31-year-old was quick to pay his tributes to Chennaiyin's fans after penning his extension while also stating that his experience in India has so far been exceptional.

"Everything surrounding the club convinced me, especially the fans and unconditional support we received last season became a huge reason for me to continue," he told Goal.

"It is honestly very difficult to find passionate supporters like this who stand by your side during your bad days. So I am very happy to come back to Chennaiyin. The club has opened the doors for me to India and the experience has been fantastic."

Chennaiyin had a poor start to the campaign last season before Rafael came into his own alongside fellow forwards like Nerijus Valskis and Andre Schembri. While the bulk of the scoring was handled by Valskis, Rafael was the orchestrator in midfield. He himself contributed seven goals and eight assists as Chennaiyin turned their form under Owen Coyle who came in six games into the season.

The result was a brilliant run of form that propelled Chennaiyin to the play-offs and subsequently into the final, with Rafael's heroics at the centre of it all. It was the sort of campaign that the Brazilian does not regret in any way, despite failing to beat ATK in the final.

"To not give up, and to have faith in your ability as an individual as well as having the faith in your teammates (was great). We backed ourselves and came back to have a very memorable season.

"For me personally, a season like this also makes you realize that the journey is more important than the result. Yes, the result in the final was not desirable, but the journey we embarked on to make it that far, left us with no regrets at all," he added.

The former Vitoria Guimaraes star, however, is not taking the loss in the final in a light manner. He feels the result serves as motivation for him and the club to go one better this time around.

"The nature of the comeback last season was great but the outcome in the final was not satisfactory. So that is also providing the motivation to succeed in the new season."

Before Owen Coyle's appointment in December 2019, Chennaiyin were struggling to score goals. They were languishing at the bottom and had scored just four goals in six matches. But the former Irish international managed to find a solution to the attacking woes with Crivellaro shining as the heartbeat in attack.

The elegant midfielder churned out chances galore for his attacking partners and helped the club generate quite a bit of momentum. Rafael feels that once he gelled with his teammates, he was able to turn his form around and with it, the side's fortunes.

"It is honestly very difficult to pinpoint one best or worst moment. But generally, I think the worst would have to be the slump we endured at the beginning of the season, we were taking time to gel and get to know each other as a team.

"However that slump led to one of the most memorable comebacks when everything clicked and fell into place. Momentum is a huge thing in football, and we really maximized the team’s potential in that run to the final."

Amine Gouiri’s goals for Nice against Lens in Sunday’s Ligue 1 encounter means that the Algeria prospect has broken a club record that had stood for 70 years.

In bagging a brace against the Blood and Gold, Gouiri became the youngest player in Nice history to have found the net at least twice in his debut French elite division game.

According to Opta, the last player to score twice on his Eagles debut was Mario Balotelli in the 3-2 triumph over Olympique Marseille on September 11, 2016.

The 20-year-old, who joined Patrick Vieira’s men from Olympique Lyonnais for a fee of seven million Euros, had a debut to remember as he inspired Nice to a comeback 2-1 win over Franck Haise’s men.

Lens took an 11th-minute lead through DR Congo’s Gael Kakuta who beat goalkeeper Walter Benitez from the penalty spot after Dante had handled Ignatius Ganago’s cross.

After series of misses, Nice levelled matters through Gouiri who fired into the top corner of goalkeeper Jean-Louis Leca's net following an assist from Hassane Kamara.

The striker completed his double of the evening by bending his strike past Leca after profiting from a Pierre Lees-Melou assist.

Born in Bourgoin-Jallieu, the striker is eligible to represent Algeria at the international level despite featuring for France at the U16, U17, 18, U19, U20 and U21 levels.

He will be hoping to continue with this fine form when Nice travel to Stade de la Meinau on Sunday for their encounter against Strasbourg next weekend, while Lens host Paris Saint-Germain.

Football enthusiasts across Africa have taken to social media to celebrate Bayern Munich after they defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 to win the 2019-20 Uefa Champions League title.

Kingsley Coman’s second-half header was the only thing that separated both teams in Lisbon on Sunday as the Bavarians ended their successful Champions League campaign with an unbeaten record.

Sunday’s triumph completed Bayern Munich’s treble this season after winning the German Bundesliga and the German Cup, and fans have described them as the most outstanding team this campaign.

Serge Gnabry singled out Bayern Munich's "crazy" team spirit after they defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the Champions League final. 

After Gnabry scored a double in Bayern's semi-final win over Lyon, Kingsley Coman proved to be the hero on Sunday as he headed home a 59th-minute winner. 

Hansi Flick's side are the first team in Champions League history to win every game on their way to the title and also the first to claim 11 consecutive victories in the competition. 

The narrow win in the final secured the Bundesliga champions another treble and Gnabry was quick to highlight the strong bond this Bayern team have created, with more silverware already in his sights. 

"Winning the trophy today is the best thing that could happen to us. We worked incredibly hard and in the end it came through to be the best team in Europe," Gnabry told BT Sport. 

"It's the final, Paris came out wanting to win and so did we. Nobody is going to give up easily but we came through.

"As long as it was 0-0, it was always going to be open for us. Of course, they were going to have chances. It was lucky they didn't score and lucky we did score.

"It has always been said that the spirit of this team is crazy. We always fight for each other and we have a strong bond. Hopefully we can build on that and win more."

On Coman, Gnabry added: "He helped us a lot. He came in and one-against-one we knew it would be difficult for the opponent. For him to score that goal after being out injured for a couple of games and to come back into the team was incredible."

Bayern managed to keep PSG scoreless in a Champions League match for the first time since April 2016 with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer making a number of key saves. 

The German shot-stopper played down his own heroics but admitted his side had to fight tooth and nail to secure the title.

"I had a great game, but I can't say it was the best game of my career," Neuer told TF1. 

"We knew we were playing against a really good team. We struggled to create and build, we didn't know what to expect tactically against this team."

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi guaranteed that the club will win a Champions League title after falling just short in Sunday's finale.

Making their first-ever appearance in the competition's finale, PSG were unable to overcome Bayern Munich as Kingsley Coman scored the game's lone goal in a 1-0 win for the German side.

The loss was a disappointing one for PSG, who have invested heavily in their squad by bringing in the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe with the sole aim of winning the Champions League title.

Neymar was seen in tears following the loss, as PSG were unable to complete a historic quadruple after sweeping through French football once again this season.

Following the match, Al-Khelaifi admitted that the club was heartbroken but also guaranteed that this wouldn't be the last time PSG reached this level.

"We're sad. We don't forget that we've done great things this season. In the final, we lost 1-0 but we could have scored two or three goals," Al-Khelaifi told RMC Sport.

"It was very close. I am very proud of my players, we had a great season, a great tournament here. We had everything we needed to win, but that's football.

"We will work to win next season. Tonight we believe in it more than before. I promise we're gonna win the Champions League."

Despite the defeat, Al-Khelaifi says that the season is still a success and that Sunday's loss will be seen as a lesson for a club that is still looking to break through at this level.

"Players, honestly, everybody's coming out with their heads held high," he said. "They've created something.

"We played against the great Bayern, that's something. They're one of the best teams in the world. We lost 1-0. That's football. You have to improve on little things. This is our first final, Bayern's eleventh.

"We had a great season, we reached the final, we won four trophies. We're sad, we're disappointed, but there's a positive side.

"We'll get back one day, we'll work for it. It wasn't easy to reach the final, but we're going to do everything we can to win this trophy."

Paris Saint-Germain's failure to take their chances was the main reason for their Champions League final defeat to Bayern, according to midfielder Ander Herrera.

The Parisians went down 1-0 to the German powerhouse at the Estadio da Luz on Sunday, with French winger Kingsley Coman scoring the only goal in the 59th minute.

Several golden chances were squandered by PSG throughout the match, including Neymar's one-on-one opportunity with Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer and Kylian Mbappe's scuffed shot after being teed up by Herrera eight yards out.

Herrera explained the horrible feeling of participating in a losing Champions League final and was adamant his team had the chances in front of goal to win the game.

He also said PSG had progressed as a club by reaching the decider of the tournament and vowed they would continue to build as a team.

"Now we feel like sh*t. We have to think, think that we've done something very important. We've built something important for the club and the fans," Herrera said to RMC Sport post-match.

"There are no words for anyone (sic) but tomorrow, I think we will think about what we did for the club, that we built something that we did together. Tonight's a tough night, including talking about it.

"We're going to try to make it back to the final. We're not going to throw away what we did.

"We've created a lot of chances, more than Bayern I think. This game, all the finals, if you don't score... the opponent has a lot of qualities. We created five or six chances, if you don't score, they have a lot of qualities.

"We've built something important that we can't throw away."

This was Herrera's first season at PSG after joining from Manchester United on a free transfer in July 2019.

The ex-Red Devil contributed to an extraordinary campaign from the French giants that included a clean sweep of domestic trophies including Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue and Trophee des Champions.

PSG only have six days to lick their wounds before they begin their Ligue 1 title defence against Lens on August 29.

Paris Saint-Germain must not be reliant on Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for their goals, head coach Thomas Tuchel has said.

Speaking in the aftermath of the club’s 1-0 Champions League final loss to Bayern Munich in Lisbon on Sunday, the German deflected criticism from the pair, who missed the Parisian side’s biggest opportunities in the first half of the match.

Neymar had a one-on-one against Manuel Neuer but was thwarted by the German goalkeeper’s legs, while Mbappe missed a presentable opportunity when given space in the box, firing tamely at the goalkeeper.

“We've lacked efficiency,” he told RMC Sport . “We want Kylian and Neymar to score all the time. I'm proud because Ney had another amazing game. He showed his abilities, his mentality. For Kiki, it’s difficult. It was a miracle that he was with us [after injury]. Small details made the difference.”

Meanwhile, Tuchel was pleased with what his side produced against an opponent that won all 11 of their Champions League matches this season.

"It was a real fight!” he said. “We gave our all, we left our hearts on the field. We couldn’t control the outcome. It was a goal that made the difference between two super strong teams. I'm very proud of the way we played, of our mentality. That's all a coach can ask of his players.

“I'm disappointed, but not too disappointed. It's a close score. I'm convinced that if we score first, we win the game 1-0.”

Tuchel indicated that the opening goal was always likely to be critical, with Bayern's ability to score that goal determining the game.

“It's all about the little things; it could have been 1-0 for us,” he said. “We showed what it takes to win the title. Luck plays a big part. 

“We've had chances. It's details, small details, it's a defeat against one of the best teams in Europe.”

Meanwhile, after the club’s best run in the competition, he is confident that he will be in position for the next campaign.

“Coach of PSG next season? Yes, I'm under contract, I can't see anything else,” he said.

PSG’s 2020-21 season begins in just six days when they travel to newly-promoted Lens in Ligue 1.

Bayern coach Hansi Flick has joked that Liverpool target Thiago Alcantara committed to the club after their Champions League triumph against Paris Saint-Germain.

Thiago started in the heart of midfield as the German giants won their sixth title in the competition at the Estadio da Luz on Sunday, with Kingsley Coman's second-half strike earning a 1-0 victory.

The Spanish international's future has been subject to much speculation over recent months with Liverpool rumoured to leading the race for his services, while Arsenal are also reportedly keen on the playmaker.

When asked where Thiago would be playing next season, Flick spoke in jest about the 29-year-old staying at the Bavarians - but revealed clarity would come soon.

"He told me that he would stay [at Bayern]," Flick joked in his post-match press conference.

"I just thanked him. I don't know [where his future lies], he doesn't know himself yet.

"We'll have to wait and see what happens in the next few days."

Because Thiago is entering the final year of his contract at Bayern, he is valued at just €30 million (£27m/$36m) - with the coronavirus pandemic's affect on finances also driving down his price.

Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney believes Thiago's all-round skills in midfield would be a great addition to the Premier League as whole.

He also spoke of how close the ex-Barcelona player was to joining the Red Devils seven years ago and joked about his rumoured move to Anfield.

"He almost came to United in 2013 and now Liverpool are linked with him. He’s one of the best midfielders around – I just hope he doesn’t go there!," Rooney told The Sunday Times.

"He can take the ball, be composed on it, keep things ticking over – and he’ll put his foot in. He’s an all-round midfielder, really, with a bit of everything. He backs up that Bayern press and he drops in between the centre-halves to take the ball yet can also join in when they’re playing around the other box too.

"He’s a great player. It would be great to see him in the Premier League, actually."

Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel has declared Lionel Messi is "very welcome" to join the club should the Barcelona star decide to pursue a move away from Camp Nou. 

The Argentine legend has once again been linked with a possible Barca exit after seeing his side end the season without a trophy and lose 8-2 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals. 

Tuchel himself failed to guide his side past Bayern on Sunday as the Bundesliga giants claimed their sixth Champions League title with a 1-0 win over PSG. 

The Ligue 1 champions are one of few clubs in the world that could potentially afford a move for Messi and Tuchel conceded he certainly wouldn't say no to having the 33-year-old to join his side. 

"He [Messi] is very welcome! We lost lots of players for this campaign only and we lose now Thiago Silva and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. We need to use the transfer window now to make the squad bigger," Tuchel told BT Sport. 

"The campaign will be very demanding without any breaks. We need to build a strong, strong squad.

"We decided not to talk about transfers in this period here. We will sit together in the next days. We have many things to do to keep the level of the squad.

"What coach says no to Messi? I think Messi finishes his career in Barcelona. He is Mr. Barcelona."

Despite a few chances to strike against Bayern, PSG were unable to triumph in their first Champions League final and Tuchel called on his men to rebound quickly next season. 

"It is necessary if we want to keep the same level, we have to step up again. You have to go on. This level is necessary," Tuchel said.

"We showed again we can compete with the best teams in Europe with this mentality and attitude, in combination with our talent.

"We are a strong, strong side. We can be proud of that. We cannot worry too much because it is okay and we will go on."

While once again falling short on Europe's biggest stage, PSG ended their season with a domestic treble and lost just three games in a shortened Ligue 1 campaign. 

Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies admits he never would have guessed he would become the first Canadian to win the Champions League. 

The 19-year-old defender played the full 90 minutes as his German side defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the final on Sunday. 

It's been a breakout season for Davies, who only began playing for Bayern's first-team in 2019 after joining the club a year prior from MLS outfit Vancouver Whitecaps. 

Already a regular for Canada's national team, the teenager wasted no time thanking his country for their support as he savoured his surprise Champions League triumph. 

"I just want to say thank you guys for supporting me back home. This is for you guys," Davies said post-game.

"You know, who would have thought a guy from Canada playing at a club like Bayern Munich and winning the Champions League? I never could have guessed it.

"If someone told me this two years ago, I would've said you're lying but I mean dreams do come true and I just want to say thank you everyone for supporting me back home. 

"Feels good, feels like I'm on top of the world. You know moments like these you dream of as a kid and I honestly can't believe it. As a footballer winning the Champions League is everything at club so you know I'm happy we can do it and I'm happy to be part of the squad that can do it as well.

"It's been a good season, we didn't start so well, but it's how you finish and not how you start. Throughout the season we had to build team chemistry...and to win the treble is an amazing feeling."

On match-winner Kingsley Coman, Davies added: "Kingsley, we knew he has pace, can play amazingly on his day and today he showed it. Every time one-on-one he went at the defender, did well and his goal, you don't really see Kingsley scoring headers, but that just goes to show you that guy is full of surprises."

The young Canadian also paid tribute to manager Hansi Flick, who replaced Niko Kovac earlier in the season and has now lead the club to a sixth Champions League crown. 

"Hansi Flick is a good guy all-round, everyone loves him, there's not really many negatives things you can say about Hansi," Davies said. "Overall, he's just a great general guy." 

Marseille star Dimitri Payet mocked Paris Saint-Germain on social media after their defeat to Bayern Munich in Sunday's Champions League final.

In their first appearance in the final of Europe's elite competition, the Ligue 1 champions were beaten 1-0, with former PSG winger Kingsley Coman heading in the winning goal in the second half in Lisbon.

PSG's bitter rivals Marseille are the only French team to have won the tournament in men's football, having lifted the trophy back in 1993, two years after they reached their first final.

Payet was quick to remind his followers of that fact, tweeting a video of a PSG shirt apparently with a star above the crest, only to reveal a Marseille jersey underneath.

Videos of Marseille fans celebrating in the streets after the final whistle have also circulated on social media, with supporters jubilant that PSG's expensive project has still been unable to yield the biggest trophy in European club football.

In the build-up to the game, a ban on wearing PSG shirts or displaying banners in Marseille was imposed in a bid to prevent a repeat of disturbances seen during their 3-0 semi-final win over RB Leipzig.

However, police reversed the decision after accepting it had caused a lack of understanding.

Payet has previously declared Marseille remain the biggest team in France, hinting that PSG lack the same level of unity. 

“I’ve said it before, but I play for the biggest French club,” Payet said in 2018. “And what’s more, we’re a team. We’ve seen that recently to play as a team is more important that having a bunch of individuals.”

While PSG fell short in the Champions League this season, they did claim yet another Ligue 1 title as they finished eight points clear of second-place Marseille in a shortened campaign. 

Payet will be hoping to back up his social media swipe on the pitch next month when PSG host Marseille in the new Ligue 1 season on September 13. 

Marseille were supposed to begin their Ligue 1 campaign against St Etienne on Friday only for the match to be suspended after the club returned four positive coronavirus tests.

Mino Raiola says that is set to hold talks with Manchester United over a new contract for Paul Pogba as the agent insists that his client is still a key player for the club.

Pogba has been with Manchester United since 2016, as he returned to Old Trafford after a four-year stay with Juventus.

He's made 157 appearances since making that return, scoring 32 goals while leading Manchester United to a Carabao Cup triumph and a Europa League title.

However, in recent seasons, Pogba has been at the centre of transfer rumours, with the midfielder often linked with an Old Trafford departure.

According to his longtime agent Raiola, though, Pogba is set to stay at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future as the two sides are set to begin talks over a new deal.

“Pogba is key player for Man Utd, they have an important project and he’s 100 per cent included. Man Utd will not accept any bid on this summer to sell Pogba," Raiola told Gianluca Di Marzio

"He is not the type to make controversy, especially in a moment where you have to stay calm and see how it turns out. We will deal with the renewal calmly, without stress. We will continue to talk about it."

While Pogba looks set to remain at Manchester United, Raiola also revealed that another one of his clients, Erling Haaland, will also remain at his current club this summer.

Haaland only joined Borussia Dortmund in January, but has run rampant since joining the Bundesliga side, scoring 16 goals in 18 games for the club.

Given his success, Haaland has been linked with a big-money move as soon as this summer as the 20-year-old forward has already become one of the world's most in-demand strikers.

However, Raiola says that those that missed out on Haaland in January must deal with their mistake as he will be a Dortmund player for at least another season.

"He is a regret for those who did not take him and a dream for those that did take him," Raiola said. 

"He will not move this year. He is fine at Dortmund. It is not the time to moving, we are very aware of the career path that can be done."

Barbra Banda enjoyed a fine debut as she scored once and provided two assists in Shanghai Shengli's 5-0 trashing of Zhejiang Hangzhou in a Chinese Women's Super League contest on Sunday.

The Zambia international joined Shanghai in January from Spanish side Logrono and was handed a starting role in her maiden appearance in the Chinese outfit's winning opener of the season.

Having ended as runners-up in 2019, Shanghai are aiming to challenge for the league diadem this year and the Zambian star broke the deadlock in their opener with her fantastic solo run in the 23rd minute.

The hosts doubled the lead through captain Liu Jieru as she struck during a goalmouth scramble five minutes later. 

After the break, Banda continued to make light of the absence of Nigeria's Francisca Ordega, missing due to travel restrictions as she raced in to tee up Tang Jiali for Shanghai's third in the 53rd minute.

16 minutes later, the last season's vice-champions added the fourth when Fang Jie blasted home a remarkable long-range goal.

Deep into injury time, Banda intercepted a pass between Zhejiang's defenders to set up Jiali for her second to wrap up a big victory.

Shanghai will battle Henan Jianye, who suffered a 2-1 opening defeat to Wuhan, in their next Chinese top flight fixture on August 26.

Kaizer Chiefs and Stellenbosch FC settled for a share of spoils following a 1-1 draw at Orlando Stadium on Sunday night, as the league leaders missed the chance to extend their advantage to Mamelodi Sundowns to eight points.

Lelethu Skelem opened the scoring for Stellenbosch in the first half but a second-half strike by Lazarous Kambole, finally breaking his duck for Chiefs, rescued a point for Amakhosi. 

Ernst Middendorp's men have now opened a six-point lead at the top of the PSL standings while Steve Barker's charges remained ninth with three league games to go. 

Middendorp made a couple of changes to the team that lost to Bloemfontein Celtic with Siyabonga Ngezana getting his first start since December. 

Siphelele Ntshangase also made the cut, cracking the nod for the first time this season. 

After a tightly contested opening quarter, Amakhosi started playing with confidence and knocked the ball around comfortably. 

However, they still couldn't hurt Stellenbosch where it mattered the most, and for Barker, this was a chance to use his side's speed to get behind the Amakhosi defence. 

As expected, Chiefs looked dangerous throughout, with crosses played inside the Stellenbosch box, and Ngezana came close to opening the scoring from a Parker cross, only for his header to go wide. 

After starting as a lone striker, Leonardo Castro limped off the pitch with a suspected hamstring injury and was replaced by Samir Nurkovic, who had been rested for this encounter in anticipation of the Mamelodi Sundowns match next week Thursday. 

However, he was ultimately booked deep into stoppage time for his fourth yellow card of the season - meaning he will be suspended for this crucial encounter.   

Stellenbosch took the lead through Skelem in the 35th minute after he connected brilliantly with Ashley de Preez's cross. 

Du Preez turned Ngezana inside out on the left-hand side before whipping a perfect cross into the box and Skelem made it two goals in two matches, beating Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya to the ball, and Daniel Akpeyi hands down. 

Things improved for Chiefs in the second half after the introduction of Kambole, Dumusani Zuma and Kgotso Moleko. 

And with Lebogang Manyama absent due to injury, Zuma was expected to be the link between the midfield and the strikers - and he did well soon after his introduction, taking the game to Stellenbosch without the fear of losing it. 

Kambole made an immediate impact upfront, but his 57th-minute effort was superbly palmed by Lee Langeveldt. 

Stellenbosch didn't show any respect towards Chiefs with Du Preez and Skelem giving the Amakhosi defence a torrid time with their pace in the final third. 

It was on the side of Ngezana that the pair looked more dangerous as the Chiefs defender was often beaten for pace. 

Chiefs would finally find the equaliser through Kambole in the 70th minute after he was picked out by Reeve Frosler. 

He chested the ball down, leaving his marker behind before finishing with his weaker foot from close range for what was his first goal since joining Amakhosi.   

Stellenbosch sat back after conceding that goal but they had the chance to steal the three points three minutes before time when Nyiko Mobbie picked out Du Preez inside the Amakhosi box, but the young attacker hit the wrong side of the net with only Akpeyi to beat.  

Ultimately, neither team could find the winner, but for Stellenbosch, this was a huge point and they remain unbeaten in the league since the return of football.

For Chiefs, this match represented a missed opportunity to have moved eight points clear of second-placed Sundowns.