Kaizer Chiefs started their Betway Premiership campaign with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Marumo Gallants on Saturday night.
Chiefs gave debuts to goalkeeper Fabrice Ntwari, Rushwin Dortley, Miguel Inacio, Bradley Cross, Gaston Sirino.
Gallants made the perfect start on eight minutes when Sekela Sithole tapped in cutback following a quickly taken free-kick, with the strike deflecting off Miguel.
The joy was cut-short after a couple of minutes as Mduduzi Shabalala picked up a loose ball from a stray pass by Bahlabane Ba Ntwa and finished off the underside of the crossbar with a lovely strike.
Furthermore, Gallants' on-field personnel suffered in the final exchanges where goalkeeper Washington Arubi collided heavily and replaced by Daniel Akpeyi.
The Amakhosi enjoyed a decent spell of control later on and could've gone ahead through a first-time effort by Ranga Chivaviro, but he fluffed his lines.
There were no arrivals off the bench ahead of the second period, but the Amakhosi did bring on Edson Castillo for Samkelo Zwane a couple of moments later.
Akpeyi turned it on after a brief spell when he pulled across his defensive area to guide Ranga Chivaviro's swerving strike to safety with Shabalala slamming the follow-up into the side-netting.
Skipper Yusuf Maart looked to take matters on himself where he retrieved possession around the attacking area and pushed further forward only to go high and wide of goal.
Gallants were down to ten players within the remaining ten minutes after Joseph Molangoane got a straight red-card for a rash challenge.
The Amakhosi grabbed the lead ten minutes to the end when Vilakazi slammed into the bottom-corner after a dummy from Maart following a one-touch move involving Sirino.
It took the Soweto giants very little to hold ground but would ultimately go on to bag victory at the end of it all.
Confirmed line-ups:
Marumo Gallants: Marumo Gallants XI: Arubi, Molangoane, Mabotja, Rikhotso, Mathiane, Manaka, Dhludhlu, Mlambo, Mhango, Sithole, Mahlatsi.
Subs: Akpeyi, Nhlapo, Chabatsane, Nange, Mokobodi, Wagaba, Msendami, Mphambaniso, Shai.
Kaizer Chiefs: Ntwari, Frosler, Dortley, Miguel, Cross, Zwane, Maart, Shabalala, Sirino, Saile, Chivaviro.
Subs: Bvuma, Msimango, Jansen, Mashiane, Castillo, Vilakazi, Ngcobo, Du Preez, Duba.