Red cards and bad luck: Barker on Stellenbosch’s struggles against Chiefs

After suffering a 2-0 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker spoke out about his side’s recent struggles against the Soweto giants.

This loss on Sunday marked the fourth consecutive time Stellenbosch has been defeated by Chiefs.

The match, which took place during the opening weekend of the 2025/26 Betway Premiership campaign, was made even more challenging for Stellenbosch when their centre-back, Siviwe Nkwali, was sent off early in the first half.

Despite the recent run of bad luck, Barker insists that the results haven’t always been one-sided. “It hasn’t always been the case [losing to Chiefs]; we got our fair share of results in the past,” he explained. “But yeah, of late, it just seems they’re a team that has one over us right now… we obviously have to really find a way to get ourselves a win against them.”

Barker highlighted the early red card as a key factor in the recent loss, noting that the team faced a “double blow” of both a sending-off and a goal. He reflected that sometimes, conceding a goal is the better outcome if it means the team can remain at full strength. “Your chance of getting a point is probably higher,” he said.

He also pointed out that this wasn’t the first time a red card has been a turning point in a match against Chiefs. “It’s not through lack of effort or trying to beat them, it just seems like our luck against them is just not where it should be right now, but we need to be better in certain situations.”