The tie is not over, Barker warns Stellies ahead of Hotspurs clash

Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has warned his players only their best will do against Nsingizini Hotspurs as they look to secure a place in the next round of the Caf Champions League qualifiers.

Stellies may be favourites to get the job done in the second leg clash in Durban on Saturday after winning 3-0 away in Eswatini last weekend, but Barker insists there can be no sense of entitlement.

“One thing that we need to understand is that the tie is not over,” Barker said after the game in Eswatini on Saturday. “The game is not finished, it’s only half-time. We have to come out next week and show the same character and attitude towards the game.”

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“I can anticipate that our opponents will really come out for it because they have nothing to lose. They need to try to get themselves back into the tie, so we expect another tough game, as was the case today. We’re looking forward to it,” added the Stellies coach.

Barker was happy with how his charges played in the first leg on Saturday against the “well-coached and well-drilled” Hotspurs side.

“I thought we started the game well and had good control, especially in the first 45 minutes,” Barker said. “We moved the ball around well, were patient in our build-up, and played with a lot of confidence.
“As expected, our opposition is a very well-coached and well-drilled team in terms of their defensive structure, which made it difficult for us to create chances.

“The key was to remain patient and keep probing, and then hopefully something would happen. As it was, from good open-play football, we ended up scoring from more of a messy situation.

“But, sometimes you get rewarded that way from the pressure you apply on the opposition, and something comes from it, and I thought we were worth our lead heading into the second half.

“It was important to come out after the break and keep up that pressure and intensity and ensure that we don’t make any errors that could lead to a goal. The aim was then to get a third goal and see if we could solidify our position, which we fortunately did.”

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The second leg is set to be played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban at 3pm. 

Stellies had to move the game to Durban because their home venue, the Danie Craven Stadium, is not in a good state to host football games.