Stellenbosch FC proved their dominance this season by defeating South African football powerhouse Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Cape Winelands team has a 1-0 lead heading into the second leg of the MTN8 semi-finals in Durban on Sunday. Head coach Steve Barker is certain they will win and advance to the final.
On Wednesday, Stellies defender Fawaaz Basadien scored from the penalty spot on the hour mark, sending stand-in Sundowns goalkeeper Jody February into a tailspin.
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The goal came after a very disciplined display that stifled Sundowns’ free-flowing football.
While Stellies were good defensively, they will be grateful that veteran goalkeeper Sage Stephens was at his best, denying the Premiership champions’ newest Brazilian signing Arthur Sales and the seasoned 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 will be played in Durban because the Danie Craven Stadium is hosting Western Province’s Currie Cup match against the Pumas, and the Cape Town Stadium is unavailable due to the Springboks and All Blacks meeting next weekend in the Mother City.
