CAFCC: Stellenbosch FC’s confidence high after upsetting Zamalek—Barker

Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker

Stellenbosch FC's coach Steve Barker says the South African team’s confidence and belief have soared after upsetting Zamalek SC in the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinal, second-leg match last week.

Ahead of Tuesday’s Betway Premiership encounter against AmaZulu FC, Barker said: “The mood is very high after our success in reaching the semifinals of the [CAF] Confederation Cup, but we are very cognizant that the league is important for us.”

Barker has since urged his troops to transfer continental form into the domestic league starting with AmaZulu FC at Danie Craven Stadium. Kick-off is at 19:30 CAT.

“It is a massive game for us in the league. It is important to get three points. We need to fight for the third position, which is important as we want to continue playing on the continent. It is a massive game. We are expecting a tough encounter,” he told Stellenbosch media.

“Having gone past a team like Zamalek at home and away, confidence is very high. There is belief in one another. The trust in each other is on a higher level. We must take that level into the league matches in the remaining six games.”

Barker admitted that the top-three race is tight as teams such as AmaZulu FC have ambitions of finishing third and qualifying for the CAF Confederation Cup next season.

Stellies can leapfrog third-placed Sekhukhune United with a win on Tuesday to boost confidence going into this weekend’s CAF Confederation Cup first-leg semi-final meeting with Simba SC this weekend.

Earlier, AmaZulu FC coach Arthur Zwane said his team could sneak into the top-four band on the log table if they maintained their winning momentum. Zwane’s side lie in seventh place on the log table with four points separating them from fourth-placed TS Galaxy.

AmaZulu are chasing a second successive Premiership win after beating Richards Bay 1-0 on April 4.