Stellenbosch FC showed they’re a team to be reckoned with this season when they went to the home of South African football kings Mamelodi Sundowns and left with a very valuable win.
The Cape Winelands side take an encouraging 1-0 lead into the second leg of the MTN8 semi-finals in Durban this coming Sunday, and head coach Steve Barker is confident they can get the job done and book their place in the final.
On Wednesday, Stellies defender Fawaaz Basadien sent stand-in Sundowns goalkeeper Jody February the wrong way when he opened the scoring on the hour mark via the penalty spot.
Relebohile Mofokeng 🤝 Fawaaz Basadien
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) August 29, 2024
How crucial will these away goals be this weekend in the #MTN8 semi-final second legs? 👀 pic.twitter.com/dGcY2s7Agw
The goal came after a very disciplined display that throttled Sundowns and prevented them from playing the free-flowing football they are known for.
While Stellies were solid defensively, they will also be thankful that veteran goalkeeper Sage Stephens was at his best, thwarting the the Premiership champions’ newest Brazilian import Arthur Sales and the evergreen Themba Zwane.
Praising his charges’ performance on the night, Barker said: “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,” said the Stellenbosch boss.
“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.”
In the second leg in Durban, Barker said they’re going to have to be better at converting the chances they create against a Sundowns side that’s been slow out of the blocks this season.
“It’s going to be key for us in that second leg to take the chances we create. 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. 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 said.
The second leg is being played in Durban due to the Danie Craven Stadium hosting Western Province’s Currie Cup clash against the Pumas, and the unavailability of the Cape Town Stadium due to next weekend’s massive clash between the Springboks and All Blacks in the Mother City.
IOL Sport