Steve Barker urges Stellenbosch to keep believing in CAF Confederation Cup dream

Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has called on his team to maintain their belief and fighting spirit as they prepare for one of the most important matches in the club’s history – the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup semi-final against Simba SC.

The Maroons will host the Tanzanian giants at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Sunday, with kick-off set for 3pm. 

After a narrow 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Zanzibar, Stellies know they will need to overturn the deficit to keep their historic continental campaign alive.

Barker, who has overseen Stellenbosch’s rapid rise both domestically and now in Africa, remains optimistic about their chances despite the setback away from home.

“Yeah going 1-0 down in Tanzania (wasn’t the best result). We had looked to sort of get away with a positive result, and maybe an away goal,” Barker admitted. 

“This is a precarious score-line to be in, but it’s not long ago that Simba lost 2-0 away from home, and they won their game 2-0 at home, and they went on to win on penalties.”

Returning to South African soil, where they have proven strong throughout the competition, gives Stellenbosch a timely boost. 

The Cape Winelands side have lost just once in four home matches, securing two wins and a draw in their previous outings.

“We are happy to be back home, and we want to be still competitive and still be in the tie,” Barker added.

“We have a strong belief and confidence that we can continue to exceed expectations.

“There’s no reason why we can’t go into tomorrow believing we can work ourselves into a final.”

The belief within the Stellenbosch camp is not limited to the coaching staff. 

Club captain and goalkeeper Sage Stephens was equally bullish about their approach, dismissing any nerves ahead of the crucial second leg.

“In terms of pressure, we are entertainers, that’s what we get paid to do,” said Stephens. 

“We’re in a great position, we’re in the semi-final second leg. The first leg didn’t go our way, but it was the first time playing Simba, so now we know what to expect.”

Stephens also highlighted the character and resilience that have defined Stellenbosch’s journey so far, noting that the team views the occasion as motivation rather than pressure.

“Stellenbosch is a team that generally bounces back well so we’re not taking anything as pressure.

“It’s more motivation because we want to keep exceeding expectations and make the club and the country proud, and that’s by going to the final,” he said.

Having defied odds throughout their debut Confederation Cup campaign, Stellenbosch now stand 90 minutes away from making even more history – and if Barker and his players are to be believed, they intend to seize the opportunity.