Steve Barker: Stellenbosch will ‘bounce back’ after MTN8 final heartbreak

Stellenbosch FC’s head coach, Steve Barker, has vowed that his side will not be defined by their recent MTN8 final defeat, insisting the team will regroup and return stronger.

The loss, a 3-0 extra-time thriller to Orlando Pirates at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, marks the second successive top-eight final defeat for the Cape Winelands club at the hands of the Buccaneers.

While the teams were deadlocked after 90 minutes of end-to-end action, Stellenbosch’s resistance was broken in extra time by a late Pirates surge. A decisive brace and an assist from substitute Tshepang Moremi sealed the victory for the reigning champions.

In a post-match interview, Steve Barker reflected on the final’s outcome. “I thought in open play, over the first 90 minutes, there was no real better team,” Barker stated. “We could have maybe stolen it, they could have maybe got something, but I thought it was an even match.”

STELLENBOSCH FC COACH STEVE BARKER REFLECTS ON “EVEN” MTN8 FINAL

The Stellies’ coach acknowledged his team’s struggles in extra time, citing the danger of pushing for a late equaliser.

“Unfortunately, they just sort of outclassed us, outplayed us in the extra time,” he explained. “Once you concede the first goal, you try to get back into it, and you get caught a little bit short.”

With a busy schedule ahead, including local and continental fixtures, Stellenbosch has little time to dwell on the loss. Their league campaign resumes in just three days with a Wednesday away clash against AmaZulu FC.

Barker underscored the importance of moving on quickly from the defeat. “We have to get over this as quickly as possible,” he said. “We’ve got to be proud of getting ourselves into another final, but we have got to take lessons learned today, and we will be back.”

He concluded with a forward-looking statement: “Our league campaign needs to be started, so we need to get up, bounce back, and be ready for Wednesday.”

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