Stellenbosch FC will be high on confidence following their debut CAF Confederation Cup first-round triumph, and they are primed to get past DR Congo side AS Vita Club tonight at Cape Town Stadium (7pm kick-off).
The Carling Cup winners eased past Nsingizini Hotspurs in the first preliminary round 8-0 on aggregate, and a much tougher encounter awaits against an AS Vita side that won the Congolese League One just two seasons ago.
Steve Barker’s team are also no strangers to the top of the table after having pushed Orlando Pirates all the way for the second-place finish that they narrowly missed out on in the final games of the Premiership campaign.
They finished third to qualify for the Confederation Cup, and in the end the amount of matches took its toll on the players.
The Cape Winelands side last season made serious inroads among the best South African football has to offer, but Barker also believes his side can heed several lessons from their shortcomings.
“The last part of the season, we were in the running to finish second in the league, and we didn’t finish strongly in the last five matches. I think the lesson we learnt from that was coping with the amount of fixtures we have over the season – I think we played 42 matches,” Barker said yesterday.
“We have quietly gone about building a squad that is really competitive, and has a competitive element about starting positions and in every position. We believe there is good competition and enough quality in depth that we are able to compete on the different levels.”
Stellies have won all four of their matches so far this season, and they are in contention to win back-to-back domestic trophies after making the MTN8 final at the expense of Mamelodi Sundowns.
All systems go 👊 pic.twitter.com/xumZ0V8wzM
— Stellenbosch FC (@StellenboschFC) September 12, 2024
But with their imminent challenge, Barker would have liked to get more access into his opponents’ style of play in preparation for their tough fixture.
“It hasn’t been easy to figure out who they have or how they play, but we have been able to source some of their matches from their previous season,” the Stellies mentor said.
“They have the same coach, so we have cast in that they might have the same principles, but we have also managed to look at one or two of their friendly matches of late.
“They are a team that pride themselves as being one of the best teams in the continent. They will always have quality players, especially their attacking wingers and striker … it goes without saying that we will need to defend really well.
“Looking at their squad, they are physically a big, strong team. When it comes to aerial duels, we will need to defend those well.”
The scene is set for tomorrow's #TotalEnergiesCAFCC encounter 🌍 pic.twitter.com/JwvSdkGEw4
Stellenbosch will have their full quota of players available for selection after they welcomed some players back from the international break, such as Bafana’s Jayden Adams and Fawaaz Basadien, and the 56-year-old Barker confirmed that they are still looking to add to their squad.
“In terms of what we need, we are still in the market looking to strengthen in one or two areas, so hopefully by the close of the window, we will have some incomings.”
Elsewhere, Sekhukhune United will also be in action in the second preliminary round of the Confederation Cup against Angola’s CD Lunda Sul at the Estadio 11 de Novembro tomorrow (kick-off 4pm SA time).