Stellenbosch FC are writing the story of the 2023/24 season

The story of Stellenbosch FC is one of the most extraordinary of this 2023/24 Premier Soccer League season as the club from the Cape Winelands continues to punch above their weight.

They are currently on a 21-game unbeaten run, having already claimed the Carling Knockout title in December, and earning a Nedbank Cup semifinal date with Mamelodi Sundowns.

It will be their fourth semifinal in arow, having only been ousted from the last-4 of the MTN8 on the away goals by Orlando Pirates.

Their 1-0 win over Pirates in the second leg of that tie remains the only time Buccaneers coach Jose Riveiro has been beaten outright in a knockout fixture since his arrival in South African football, a run of 18 domestic cup fixtures.

Stellenbosch last lost 203 days ago, or over six months, when they took the lead against Mamelodi Sundowns away from home in the league, but ended up on the end of a 3-1 defeat.

In the six months and 21 days since then, they have beaten Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, provincial rivals Cape Town City twice, recorded their biggest ever win in the Nedbank Cup, 6-1 against Milford FC, and secured their biggest ever victory against a fellow topflight side in Saturday’s 4-0 home success against SuperSport United, albeit that was also in the Nedbank Cup.

They have 14 wins and seven draws, have scored 40 goals and conceded only 10.

They have only conceded more than one goal once in that run, where they came from two goals down to win 3-2 at Pirates in late December.

That defence is getting stronger too, they have conceded just two goals in their last seven games, keeping five clean sheets.

It is hugely impressive and all the numbers suggest a team very much on the up. Outside of Sundowns, no other team can come close to matching