Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker expressed his delight following his team’s impressive 1-0 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of the MTN8 semifinal.
The win puts Stellenbosch in a strong position as they head into the second leg, with the goal coming from a second-half penalty scored by Fawaaz Basadien.
In the post-match analysis, Barker mentioned that Stellies started the game pretty well, displayed a solid defensive performance, and managed to limit Sundowns’ usually potent attack.
“I just felt that we started the game really well. We were a little bit unlucky with one or two transitions and not getting an early goal. Our tactical awareness and tactical discipline were really spot-on this evening. I thought our tactics in terms of trying to deny them the opportunity to control the game totally”, Barker said.
Barker couldn’t hide his pride in his players’ performance. “Credit must be given to the players for the execution. These young players have learned how to win. They are winners. They don’t know how to give up,” he said.
He also highlighted the impact of the returning Ibraheem Jabaar, who rejoined the team after a stint in Israel.
“Jabbar coming back from Israel has shown maturity and has also grown as a player. It’s one of the reasons why I believe we’re having the success we’re having,” Barker added.
Barker emphasized the importance of learning from Sundowns, a team that has set the benchmark for South African football, especially with their consistent performances on the continental stage.
“We learn a lot from a team like Sundowns. You know, we watch them and we see what they do. They’re the leaders in the market in terms of playing on the continent. And you can see tactical fouls.
“You can see how they sort of slow the game down, especially when you’re progressing in attack. Those are things that I’ve told my team and players that we’ve got to learn quickly. Big game against Sundowns on Sunday,” Barker said.
Looking ahead to the second leg, Barker highlighted the necessity for his team to capitalise on their chances. He acknowledged that while Stellenbosch had opportunities to extend their lead in the first leg, they must be more clinical in front of goal to stand a chance of advancing to the final.
“It’s going to be key for us in that second leg that the chances that we hopefully can create and get, we have to take. Because if we don’t, it’s just not going to be possible to defend for 90 minutes. So we’re going to have to be brave.
“We’re going to have to continue to play and take the game to them whenever it is possible. But yeah, I agree with you. In one or two situations we should have been a bit more clinical and we may have come away with even a bigger lead. But I’ll take that. Be humble enough to accept that a 1-0 away win is a massive result for us,” Barker added.
The stage is set for an exciting second leg at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday, with Stellies aiming to build on their first-leg success and secure a spot in the MTN8 final.
