Kaizer Chiefs' Ashley du Preez wants to start with some goals, assists against Stellenbosch FC

Stellenbosch FC will always hold a special place in Ashley du Preez’s heart, but the striker wants to start his season on a high by getting off the mark against his former club.

Kaizer Chiefs will visit Stellenbosch in their Betway Premiership season opener at Athlone Stadium on Sunday afternoon (5:30pm kick-off).

Chiefs will fancy their chances of winning the match, having beaten Stellies in three successive meetings last season – twice in the league and once in the Nedbank Cup.

Should Amakhosi come away with the victory, they’ll have shown their intent to improve on last season’s disappointing ninth-place finish from the outset.

And luckily for them, they have enough motivation and firepower at their disposal, as Du Preez hopes to haunt his former side on familiar turf.

Since leaving Stellies to join Chiefs in July 2022, Du Preez has scored three times against the Winelands-based club, including in the MTN8 during his first season at Amakhosi.

“It’s always good to play against them,” Du Preez told Chiefs’ media unit on Thursday. “I have played for them, and they helped me get to where I am today.

“I am familiar with everything in Cape Town, including the weather. So, when you play against Stellenbosch, my mindset has to be on high alert.

“I would like to start my season against Stellenbosch with some goals and assists. So, I’m really looking forward to playing against them.”

Du Preez is not putting himself before the team, though. He knows he’s just a piece of the puzzle and has to work with his teammates to take Chiefs back to the top.

“I couldn’t wait for the league to start. Everyone is starting on a clean slate and wants to write their own history,” Du Preez explained.

“The first game is going to be tough because we are playing Stellenbosch, but I think this season we can compete for everything – the league and cup games.

“From day one, we have to be 100% sure that we can compete and win the league at the end of the season.”

Coach Nasreddine Nabi’s team and the management have been pulling out all the stops to ensure they challenge for silverware this season – especially the league.

The team toured the Netherlands for two weeks and played training matches against Dutch professional teams. Despite losing four games and only winning one, Du Preez says they’ve taken lessons from the tour that will serve them in their domestic and continental campaigns.

“The pre-season friendlies that we played in the Netherlands were amazing, and we learned a lot from them. I think we can take that into the league,” Du Preez said.

“We competed against teams of a high level, and we looked good together as a team in camp. We have energy and a clear mindset of what we want to achieve this season as a team.

“We want to take the pre-season form into the league and play every game at a high level and compete. So, I’m really excited for the season.

“I’m sure the other players are excited about the season as well, because you need to set goals for the season, work towards them, and reach higher levels.”

Chiefs have strengthened the squad with new players – including Siphesihle Ndlovu, Ethan Chislett and Thabiso Monyane – and promising youngsters such as Naledi Hlongwane.

“We are here to motivate the young players every day. We want to let them know what the club is all about and what we want to achieve together,” Du Preez said.

“We are also looking forward to the new players coming in and combining with us for the new season. They’ve all been looking good, and we are excited to work together.”