The experienced coach is now at the helm of the Cape Winelands side after parting ways with Durban City midway through the 2025/26 season. He joins a team that often competes for the Premier Soccer League title despite having a modest squad and being a selling club losing key players to big clubs. The Maroons job comes with expectations maintain the standards created by his predecessor.
The 33-year-old returns to the Western Cape after being with the Brazilians since August 2018 for a trophy-laden spell at Chloorkop. He had been rumoured to be on his way out of Masandawana in the past two seasons, but managed to stay longer. Now he moves to the Cape Winelands, eager to earn some game time under one of the Premier Soccer League's experienced coaches.
According to reports, it is a matter of days before the deal is completed, given that the clubs have had advanced talks over the experienced star who is a multiple PSL winner. Sundowns have been on a signing spree, and one of the moves that they have confirmed is the official arrival of the Bafana defender. With the arrival of the young defender, it means the fight for starting slots at Sundowns is going to be very stiff.
The 29-year-old did well for Stellenbosch under the then coach Steve Berker, who has since left Stellies for Simba SC in the Tanzanian Premier League. The attacker is set to help the Buccaneers in their bid to conquer the South African top-flight football, as well as the remaining domestic competitions.
The South Africa international has established himself as one of the elite forwards in the Premier Soccer League, but in the 2025/26 campaign, he has struggled for game time owing to stiff competition at Bucs, coupled with preferences by coach Abdeslam Ouaddou. The 29-year-old might have played his last game for the Soweto giants.
The Premier Soccer League's transfer window has hit top gear with clubs strengthening from all angles as they work on meeting their set targets. Babina Noko, who did well before the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) break, are showing signs of going all the way with quality additions to their already impressive squad.
The Soweto giants are set to lose one of their players this January amid local interest and a bid for the star. That situation may force Amakhosi into the transfer market to find a suitable replacement. However, any move will be closely scrutinised as questions linger over whether the club can avoid another costly transfer blunder.
South Africa has three clubs left in the continental competitions this season, all with realistic chances of winning silverware outside the domestic scene. The Brazilians are competing in the premier club tournament they last won in 2016 and eager to reclaim their place at the summit of African football. Meanwhile, Amakhosi and the Cape Winelands side are contesting the second-tier competition, offering the two clubs a genuine opportunity to end their continental droughts.
The Premier Soccer League teams are strengthening their teams as the South African top tier enters a critical stage in the next couple of weeks following the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) break that allowed Bafana Bafana to prepare and compete in the biennial competition. Clubs have limited times to sign players they need.
The 24-year-old has been with the club since his early days in the game, coming through the ranks to represent the senior team and become a key player for the Cape Winelands region. Initially, the South Africa international had been linked with a move to the Soweto giants, but he has been convinced to stay.
The Soweto Giants have been exceptional in domestic competitions this season, where they have already secured two major titles and one unofficial one under coach Abdeslam Ouaddou who replaced the Spaniard Jose Riveiro at the beginning of the 2025/26 season. The former Morocco international is hoping to win the remaining two local titles.
The 2023/24 Carling Knockout champions have once again lost an influential figure in the dressing room amid their struggles in the Premier Soccer League, where they have been posting inconsistent results this season. Former Amakhosi coach Gavin Hunt, who took over from Steve Barker, will have to find a suitable replacement before club football resumes.
In a bid to end Simba's struggle, the experienced South African tactician has roped in figures he trusts will help him in the mission. After making his name with Stellenbosch, it is time to test himself in a different environment, which comes with pressure given the ambition of the Kariokor giants season in and season out.
The 61-year-old parted ways with the Premier Soccer League newbies, Durban City, a couple of weeks ago after falling out with the management. He has now been given another massive assignment with the Western Cape Province-outfit who have not had a good start to the ongoing 2025/26 campaign. They are currently struggling for consistency.
Following the surprising departure of Steve Barker from the Cape Winelands outfit to join Simba SC in Tanzania, Stellies were faced with the crucial task of making the perfect appointment—someone who aligns with the club’s culture and has the ability to deliver on its mandate.
In an attempt to end Young Africans SC's dominance, the Wekundu wa Msimbazi appointed the experienced South African tactician. Barker made his name with the Winelands club, a team he mentored from a second-tier side into the Premier Soccer League. In order to boost their technical bench, the Tanzanian heavyweights are reported to be in talks with the football analyst who is expected to be incorporated into Barker's technical bench.
The current AFCON break has seen exciting development in the technical set-up of the Cape Winelands side. The incoming coach is expected to use this pause in action to drill players in his philosophy and demands before competitive football resumes in January. Adding intrigue, a former Amakhosi tactician is already being strongly linked with the Western Cape outfit.
The 57-year-old, who played for Wits University Football Club and SuperSport United, has been coaching in South Africa since 2008, but will now be plying trade outside Mzansi after accepting an offer from African heavyweights. It is a massive blow for Stellies, who have been struggling to push for top positions in the country's top-flight football.
It is always refreshing to hear some Premier Soccer League [PSL] players being linked with overseas clubs, especially big European leagues. In recent times, young players in South Africa have been getting their big moves to Europe or the USA, with the latest being talented former Orlando Pirates defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
The Buccaneers are strengthening their arsenal once again, securing another key signing as they intensify their push for league glory. With Pirates continuing their sweep through Western Cape talent, the Soweto giants are clearly gearing up to dominate on all fronts and leave no doubts about their title ambitions both in the Diski Challenge and in the Premier Soccer League.
PSL's top three clubs, Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, are naturally monitoring the talented player's situation, having raided the Winelands side for stars over the years. The highly rated forward will see his contract expire at the end of the season, and this means he is free to sign a pre-contract with a club of his choice from January 1.
The majority of the teams are working hard to realise their objectives, with the Premier Soccer League table taking shape ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) break scheduled from late December to mid-January next year. One of the sides that have been doing well are Babina Noko, who are surprising many with their run in the league.
Five months into his tenure at the Bloemfontein outfit, Alexandre Lafitte has already driven the side to a major cup final. On Saturday, 6 December, the stage shifts to Polokwane where they clash with the mighty Buccaneers in the Carling Knockout Cup showdown - a battle for silverware and a shot at history.
The Maroons picked up a crucial point on the road against the Tanzanian outfit, with the match ending 1–1 as they continue to assert their recognisable presence on the continental stage. However, Stellies were left frustrated on Sunday after the draw — a result that coach Steve Barker believes could have been very different with fairer officiating.
The Cape Winelands side travelled to Zanzibar for their Group C clash against their Tanzanian opponents at Amaan Stadium on Sunday, 30 November. Having opened this phase of the tournament with a 1‑0 win over AS Otoho d’Oyo, Stellies were determined to build on that momentum and reclaim top spot in the pool, keeping their continental ambitions firmly alive.
GOAL gives you the details to follow the Cape Winelands side's trip to Zanzibar to face their Tanzanian opponents in this CAF Confederation Cup Group C match at Amaan Stadium on Sunday. After starting their campaign in this phase of the tournament with a 1-0 victory over AS Otoho d'Oyo, Stellies are out to build on that and reclaim the lead in this pool. Steve Barker's men have been struggling on the domestic front but doing well on the continent.
Stellenbosch FC
