Individual brilliance will be key in the MTN8 final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban tomorrow night (6pm kick-off).
That’s the belief of Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker ahead of the clash against Orlando Pirates.
The Sea Robbers have sailed to their third successive MTN8 final. And having won the last two, they are regarded as favourites against Stellies.
After all, a third successive Wafa Wafa cup would mean they’d become the first domestic team to achieve that feat – something that would augur well for the club.
But before Pirates get their hopes up, they’ll be mindful of undermining a Stellies side that have been on an upward trajectory in the last few seasons.
You see, Stellies are not in the final by chance. They beat the best team in the land, Mamelodi Sundowns, in the two-legged semi-final without conceding a goal.
And that’s not all. They’ve recently qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup group stage, building on their third-place finish in the Premiership last season.
Stellies have worked as a collective. But individuals such goalkeeper Sage Stephens, defender Fawaaz Basadien and attackers Andre de Jong and Lehlogonolo Mojela have carried the team.
And given that it’s only Mojela who’s new in the quartet, there’s been some continuity at Stellies, despite losing some integral figures in the transfer market.
Iqraam Rayners, Anicet Oura, Deano van Rooyen and Antonio van Wyk were all sold in winter, leaving Barker to find continuity and lay a foundation for the newbies.
And it’s been a case of so far, so good. The nephew of the late legendary coach Clive Barker believes they can match the Sea Robbers tomorrow.
“I think last season, we were disappointed that we didn’t finish second in the league,” Barker explained.
“We felt for most of the season and at the back of it that we had it in our control, but we let it slip and ended up on equal points with Pirates, and they beat us on goal difference.
“But this season, they’ve had a (great) start – playing 10 games, winning eight games, drawing two, scored 19 goals and just conceded three. We also played 10 games, scored 20 and conceded five.
“I believe that pound for pound, we just have as many quality players as Pirates. We also have (quality players in) our midst, as Pirates also have.”
Every word from coach Steve's #MTN8Final pre-match press conference yesterday 🏆 pic.twitter.com/fafZViEncU
Barker has noticed the Pirates quartet that they’ll have to close down in order to have any chance of winning their first MTN8 crown since their existence in 2016.
“But one just got to look at their front four – (Monnapule) Saleng, (Relebohile) Mofokeng, (Tshegofatso) Mabasa and (Patrick) Maswanganyi. All of them are of their best in their positions in the league,” Barker said.
“They’ve got that individual quality, which I believe that sometimes that wins a tight game. But I believe in the sort of the type of players who can turn the game into our favour.
“I believe we have the quality which can unlock a good defensive unit such as Pirates. We have a lot of quality players in our midst.”
We are delighted to announce that Khomotjo Lekoloane has joined the Club after completing a permanent transfer from Baroka FC on the last day of the transfer window.
Barker is the longest-serving coach in the local top-flight, having joined the club in 2017. And that’s why he shared the values of what their growth has been built on.
“One of the beliefs that I’ve learnt not only myself, but as a football club, is that you’ve got to trust your processes,” Barker said.
“Yes, you’ll have challenges, but if you deviate from your beliefs, then your value and process… that’s when you then create problems for yourself.”
Both Pirates and Stellies have fond memories of Moses Mabhida. The former won both their last two MTN8 titles there, while Stellies won the Carling Knockout Cup against TS Galaxy last season.
But given that Pirates have mastered the art of winning trophies – after claiming a back-to-back double, including the Nedbank Cup – Barker said that the Cape Winelands club will have a plan up their sleeves for Jose Riveiro’s side.
“We’ve realised that getting to finals is tough, but winning a final is tougher. Our match against (TS) Galaxy went into penalties, and it could have gone either way,” Barker said.
“We don’t have that experience that Pirates do of playing in finals. They’ve become, in a sense, cup specialists. It’s impressive. But to overcome experience, you must find other ways.”