Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker says the 3-0 victory over Nsingizini Hotspurs in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round is a good result for his side, but they must remain cautious ahead of the second leg.

Barker’s team secured a comfortable 3-0 win against the Eswatini side at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday. The return leg will be played at the same venue next weekend.

This was Stellies’ debut in African competition, and they dominated the tie with goals from Andre De Jong, Devin Titus, and Fawaaz Basadien, who converted a penalty.

Barker warned his players to prevent Hotspurs from gaining an early advantage in the second leg, as a goal could significantly change the dynamics of the match.

“Obviously, a 3-0 scoreline is better than 0-0, 1-0, or being 1-0 down,” said Barker. “However, we must be wary of scorelines. An early goal against us could give the opposition hope.

“It’s a good result, and the tie is firmly in our hands. We’ll approach the second leg accordingly, which will undoubtedly benefit us.”

Despite the three-goal cushion, Barker emphasized that the tie is far from over.

“We must understand that the tie isn’t finished; it’s only halftime. We need to match our performance and attitude from last week.

“I expect our opponents to come out strongly as they have nothing to lose. They’ll strive to get back into the tie, so we anticipate another tough match, similar to Saturday’s.

“We’re looking forward to the challenge and have a week to prepare. We’ll return to Cape Town for recovery and then focus on the second leg.”