Premier League Next Gen Cup 2024 Final: Stellenbosch triumphs over Tottenham, completes redemption arc

Shaakir Ahmed and Kyle Bailey found the net for the South African outfit in the first half as their team won the tournament for the second time in three years.

Stellenbosch FC players lifting the Premier League Next Generation Cup 2024 trophy. | Photo Credit: Premier League for India

 

In the Premier League Next Gen Cup 2024, Stellenbosch FC from South Africa had come for redemption against English teams.

In the last edition of the tournament, Wolverhampton Wanderers had beaten the Stellies 5-4 on penalties in the final to clinch the title.

This time, the team left nothing to chance, securing a 2-0 victory in regulation time over Tottenham Hotspur in the final at the Loughborough Stadium here on Sunday.

Though Stuart Lewis’ side began pressing from the word go, Stellenbosch waited for the right moment to strike on the counter.

In the 16th minute, Quwan Plaatjies combined with Kyle Bailey, with the former denied a certain goal by Spurs goalkeeper Samual Archer. 

The breakthrough arrived three minutes later. Shaakir Ahmed, who had netted the winner against Crystal Palace in their group-stage game, received the cut-back from Quwan and rattled the net, leaving Archer unmoved.

Ahmed continued to be Spurs’ headache when he set up Kyle Bailey in the box, ninety seconds from half-time, whose effortless flick doubled the lead and prompted a cheer of dhols and cheers from the stands.

“In our club, we say that big players are for big moments. (I am) just making sure that we step up on big occasions. So I am made sure I do that, in England, against Premier League sides,” Ahmed told  Sportstar after the match.

The Stellies began the tournament with a 1-0 win over Tottenham and got the better of Crystal Palace and Aston Villa with the same margin in the group stage.

At the Next Gen Cup, it reached the final in the last three editions and won twice, 7-2 against Leicester City (in the Group A final) and now against Spurs.

“So proud of these players, staff and people back home. I sometimes ask myself how it is possible (three finals, two sins). But I think it is the fruits of the work that we are doing back home,” Evangelos Vellios, Stellenbosch’s head coach, said after the win.

“I think the first 10 minutes, Tottenham were on top of us. Obviously for the nerves and the occasion. But our pressing was superb today. We got some transitions and got the first goal through Shaakir, who has been our best player in this tournament,” he added.