Barker Sees Chiefs Clash As Opportunity To Win
Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker says playing Kaizer Chiefs is always exciting and presents an opportunity for his team to earn maximum points and climb the league table.
Stellenbosch will host Chiefs in the Betway Premiership at Athlone Stadium on Friday (19:30).
Barker’s comments reflect the decline of Chiefs, who haven’t won a major trophy since 2015, when they secured the league title and the MTN8. Since then, they have struggled to replicate that success. Under Ernst Middendorp, they finished second in the 2019/20 season, losing the league title on the final day. They haven’t reached that level of contention since.
Arthur Zwane led Chiefs to fifth place in the 2022/23 season, their closest challenge for the league title in recent years. Last season, they finished outside the top eight, a disappointing result for a club with the largest fan base in South Africa.
Under new coach Nasreddine Nabi, results have been inconsistent, with the team currently sitting fifth in the table with 22 points after 16 matches. They head into this game against Stellenbosch following a loss to Orlando Pirates and a draw with AmaZulu.
“Playing against Kaizer Chiefs is always a special occasion, a great opportunity for us to collect maximum points, to continue to get ourselves up the log table, which is where we want to be,” said Barker, whose side lost 2-1 to Chiefs last month in their first encounter this season. “We played recently away, and it wasn’t the result we wanted. So, it is our home game now; it is our responsibility to do well because we know where we are in the log table. Getting maximum points against them will put us in a strong position, especially as we still have a couple of games in hand.”
Stellenbosch, currently two points behind Chiefs, are seventh in the table with 20 points after 13 matches. Barker referred to those games in hand as an opportunity to climb the standings, starting with a win against Chiefs.
Stellenbosch has confirmed that tickets for the match at Athlone Stadium have sold out.
