The Free State Stars Chronicle
Squad28 Sep 2026
Thamsanqa Vilakazi stands alone
8 saves, and a scoreline the ten men in front of him had no right to. Goalkeepers only get noticed on the bad days; this was one of the other ones.
Squad28 Sep 2026
Somila Ntsundwana in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Free State Stars this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match26 Sep 2026
Free State Stars come up short against Golden Arrows
Golden Arrows left with the points after a 0‑2 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
The dugout28 Sep 2026
The manager makes an example of Kgwadi Molepo
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Player ratings28 Sep 2026
Erick Tau beats them one at a time
Successful dribbles: 16. There was always a defender in front of him and there was never a defender in front of him for long.
Squad28 Sep 2026
9 new faces, and Free State Stars are still learning each other
A squad rebuilt inside one window pays for it in a currency nobody budgets for. The football is not worse than the sum of the players; it is worse than the sum of the players who have played together before.
The dugout28 Sep 2026
The manager’s verdict
“That is on me. I pick the team and I picked wrong.” Managers say that when they mean it and when they need to be seen to, and after 0‑2 Andile Hlatshwayo left the room before anybody could ask which.
Squad28 Sep 2026
Words at Free State Stars training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Thulani Hlatshwayo is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout28 Sep 2026
Somila Ntsundwana left out for tactical reasons at Free State Stars
The shape wanted a different profile against this opponent, which is a real football answer and no comfort at all to the man it is about. He did nothing wrong and he did not play.
In brief
- The dugout When it matters, Themba Grobler plays
- Market The Gopolang Taunyane talk will not go away
- Looking ahead An away day at Bidvest Wits next for Free State Stars