After beating AS Otohô, Stellenbosch aim for a strong start to their CAF Confederation Cup adventure

Stellenbosch FC are no strangers to the CAF stage. In the past, they showcased their hunger and competitiveness by pushing their campaign all the way to the semi-finals, where they narrowly lost to Tanzanian giants Simba SC in a hard-fought battle that ended 1–0 on aggregate. However, the side led by Steve Barker appears to be rediscovering its confidence on the African stage, even as their Premier Soccer League form remains inconsistent.

Sunday afternoon’s fixture was a battle of determination, with both sides pushing for the crucial goal. However, it wasn’t until the decisive half-time substitutions that the breakthrough came. Ashley Cupido, introduced during the changes, stole the limelight in the final three minutes of added time, securing the much-needed three points for the Maroons.  

This clash also marked a milestone for the defender Thabo Moloisane, who was part of Bafana Bafana’s final squad that travelled to Gqeberha for the friendly against Zambia, as he made his 100th appearance for Stellies. 

The Stellies’ head coach, Steve Barker, was full of praise as his side secured maximum points to kick-start their CAF Confederation Cup group stage campaign. They joined fellow South African side Mamelodi Sundowns, who opened their campaign with a convincing 3–1 victory over Saint Eloi Lupopo on Saturday.

“A win is a win, and [scoring at the death] is the best time to get a lead, so it was just nice to get the win,” Barker said after the match as per Stellenbosch media.  

“Before the game started, we didn’t know our opposition that well. We did our analysis on them and had some of their games, but it was important in the first 10-15 minutes to see what they are about, and they seemed to be a decent team.

“They’re technically quite good, have decent players, and looked quite threatening at times, so the first half was just about staying in the game because in too many games of late we’ve been conceding early goals, which puts us on the back foot.

“We didn’t want to fall behind, so we were a little bit more pragmatic in our approach, unlike we would normally be when we play at home, but it’s important for us to build those building blocks. It’s not only in this competition, but in other competitions as well, that we need to be doing well and doing better," he explained.  

The 57-year-old manager provided a detailed analysis of the match, explaining how it unfolded as part of their preparation plans.

“We were solid defensively in the first half, had good shape and organisation. The only chance they really created was the free-kick before half-time, while we had one or two half-chances.

“In the second half, we had a lot of strength off the bench, and I told the starters to be solid for the first 15-20 because I had a feeling the opposition would start tiring.

“They did, they started cramping, and we had the ability to bring on people like Ashley Cupido, Thato Khiba, Sanele Barns, Genino Palace, and Langelihle Phili, who are real quality players, off the bench.

“I had the feeling we’d be able to win it off the bench, but as the game went on and on, it could have gone either way. But, one good moment, a good pass in behind by Thato for Ashley, where he is at his deadliest running onto things, and we got the goal.

“It was a nice win for us and a good start to the campaign. It’s important to win your home games, and we’ve done that, so we look forward to next Sunday away in Zanzibar against Singida Black Stars. We’ve got ourselves off to a good start, so now we have to back it up with more points in the away game.”

Despite Stellenbosch’s struggles in the domestic league and their efforts to pull away from the relegation zone, they appear to be finding their rhythm on the continental stage. Much of the criticism has stemmed from concerns that CAF competitions are draining the club’s resources and affecting their performance at home.

Steve Barker’s side will look to assert their consistency on the road as they take on the formidable Singida Black Stars. With CAF glory still in sight, Stellenbosch will be eager to secure more points and hit the back of the net multiple times on this familiar yet testing turf.