Betway Premiership: Sundowns’ fixture excites Stellenbosch – Barker

Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has shared the mood in his squad ahead of the Betway Premiership meeting with Mamelodi Sundowns in Cape Town on Saturday.

Reflecting on the fixture, Barker shared insights on how his players are preparing for the game and why they are motivated to face the league champions at Athlone Stadium.

“The belief is high, and there is a lot of excitement in the camp around playing against a team like Sundowns, and it’s important to close off this block of fixtures on a high note by putting in a big performance,” the coach told his club’s website.

The game comes at the right time for Stellies who registered their first league win in midweek, beating Marumo Gallants 1-0. It was a result Barker noted triggered the need for more victories.

“I think it was very important for us to get the win against Gallants at home,” Barker added. “The win got us up and running in the league and has to give us the confidence and belief that we can record back-to-back wins.

“It would be nice to go into the break on the back of a win, and then have the FIFA international break and a cup final to look forward to, so it would be really good for us if we can finish this block strongly.”

Before beating Gallants, Stellenbosch were without a win in three league games. However, in cups, the Western Cape-based outfit has been excelling. They reached the MTN8 final after eliminating AmaZulu FC and Sekhukhune United.

Sundowns are, on the other hand, battling a crisis of confidence after being booted out of the MTN8 cup by Orlando Pirates the previous weekend.

Coach Miguel Cardoso’s woes were compounded by a goalless draw that tasted like defeat midweek against Kaizer Chiefs in the league.

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