Stellies suffer frustrating home defeat against Belouizdad

Stellenbosch FC recorded their second consecutive defeat in the CAF Confederation Cup following an exasperating 3-0 loss against CR Belouizdad at the DHL Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The hosts looked assured on the ball during the early stages of the match as they stroked the ball around with relative ease, particularly in the middle of the park.

Following a subdued first quarter, it was Belouizdad who broke the deadlock in the 19th minute after Mohamed Ali Ben Hammouda added his name to the scoresheet.

The PSL outfit were caught flat footed following a long ball toward the edge of the Stellies 18-yard-area, with Hammouda following through with a lobbed effort over the goalkeeper’s head.

Stellenbosch continued to see most of the ball heading toward the 40th minute mark, while Belouizdad soaked up the pressure in defence. In an attempt to salvage a goal before the break, Stellenbosch piled on the pressure going forward but often fell short at the final hurdle.

Following a shaky start to the second half by Stellenbosch, after which they conceded a free-kick in a dangerous position outside their penalty area, the home side settled on the ball and attempted to take the game to their opponents with direct play leading toward goal.

Belouizdad slowed the game down on a frequent basis while Stellenbosch battled to gain momentum after the hour-mark. The game slowed down considerably with 70 minutes on the clock in Cape Town with neither side creating any notable scoring opportunities.

The Algerians doubled their advantage in the 80th minute as Abdennour Belhocini joined Hammouda on the scoreboard. After making way down the right flank, the Belouizdad attacker was first to get to the ball as he guided his effort home with a glancing header.

Belouizdad added a third in the 88th minute, as second-half substitute Islam Abbaci joined in on the fun. Following an opening on the left-hand side of the box, Abbaci made no mistake by latching onto a cross with a headed goal from close range.

While Stellenbosch were denied by the Belouizdad goalkeeper on a couple of occasions during stoppage time, the North African outfit managed to preserve their clean sheet until the final whistle.

It's back-to-back defeats for Stellies in the #TotalEnergiesCAFCC ❌#SSFootball pic.twitter.com/eMaXqu7aWT — SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) February 1, 2026

Stellenbosch FC: 0

CR Belouizdad: (1) 3 (Hammouda 19’, Belhocini 80’, Abbaci 88’)

Stellenbosch FC: Stephens, Kazie, Jooste (Langelihle 60’), Stanic, Lebusa (Kodisang 88’), Tiwani, Palace (Mokobodi 88’), Butsaka, Jabaar (Titus 62’), Makhubu, Mabasa (Cupido 60’)

CR Belouizdad: Chaal, Khacef, Kaassis (Bekkour 77’), Keddad, Benyada, Boukhenchouche (Kalelche 86’), Belhocini (Abbaci 87’), Boussouar (Boukerchaoui 62’), Laouafi, Hammouda, Belkhir (El Melali 61’)