Barker: Photo Credit: Stellenbosch FC Media.
Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has hailed his team’s remarkable performance in the CAF Confederation Cup group stages after beating CD Lunda Sul 2-0 at Versfeld Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday to make it back-to-back wins.
He said the win has kept the Betway Premiership club’s quarterfinal dream on track ahead of remaining Group B matches against RSB Berkane and Stade de Malien later this month.
Barker said the Cape Town-based team is gaining continental football experience after starting the Group B campaign with two consecutive defeats.
“Keeping a clean sheet, three points, 2-0 win, we are back right where we want to be in this competition, so obviously it makes next week Sunday another very big game for us against Stade de Malien,” he told South African Broadcasting Corporation.
Barker said his charges must now switch attention to domestic league assignments as they prepare to face Kaizer Chiefs who are smarting from a 1-0 loss to Cape Town City on Sunday.
“But we need to first focus on Kaizer Chiefs in midweek, so we need to get back, recover and prepare well for that game and then, we can start focusing on next week on Sunday,” he said.
Stellenbosch won Sunday’s game through goals from New Zealand international Andre De Jong who scored in the 49th and 64th minutes. De Jong opened the scoring with a close-range finish before adding a season by converting from the penalty spot after Chumani Butsaka was brought down in the box.
The Betway Premiership outfit started the Confederation Cup group phases with1-3 loss to Morocco’s Berkane of Morocco and 2-0 to Stade Malien in Mali.
The South Africans have six points from four games, six points behind leaders RSB Berkane of Morocco and two in front of third-placed Stade de Malien. Lunda occupy the bottom place with one point.
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