Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has confirmed that defender Ismail Toure wants to leave the club to pursue opportunities abroad.

Toure did not feature in either leg of the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round against Nsingizini Hotspurs, both of which were played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Stellenbosch cruised to a 5-0 victory in the second leg on Saturday, completing an 8-0 aggregate scoreline. The team will now face Congolese giants AS Vita Club in the second round, with the winner advancing to the group stage.

Addressing questions about Toure’s absence, Barker revealed that the 29-year-old has a strong desire to leave the Cape Winelands club before the transfer window closes.

“Toure, at this stage, it’s a difficult situation,” Barker said at the press conference on Saturday. “Hopefully, the European window closes at the end of August, and he has ambitions (to play abroad) and that’s where he desperately wants to go.”

Having joined Stellenbosch from Marumo Gallants in July 2023, Toure has established himself as a key player for the club, earning a reputation as one of the most highly-rated center-backs in South Africa.

While Barker acknowledges Toure’s importance to the team, he remains hopeful that if a move abroad doesn’t materialize, the Ivorian will be ready to continue his duties at Stellenbosch.

“At this stage, nothing has materialized, so if the window does close, obviously he has to get on with things,” Barker said. “But for now, we felt it was the sort of opposition and type of game that we didn’t need further stress to him at this stage. I’m sure by this time next week, we will have a clear indication of the way forward.”

Toure, who scored in the final when Stellenbosch won the Carling Knockout trophy at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in December last year, is not the only player linked with a potential exit from the Carling Cup champions.

Stellenbosch CEO Rob Benadie revealed that star defender Fawaaz Basadien wants to leave the club to join Kaizer Chiefs, who have already tabled a deal for him, while midfielder Jayden Adams has attracted interest both locally and abroad.

Barker has discussed how he approaches these potential departures and their psychological impact on his players.

“I think the way I deal with it mostly is, I just let them play, and the less you speak to them about these things, the better,” he said. “But what does help is in terms of their happiness at the club, you know we are doing well, we are winning football games.”

Should all the potential exits materialize, Stellenbosch would enter the new season having lost a total of five key players who helped them finish third in the league last season. The club lost captain Deano Van Rooyen to Orlando Pirates and Iqraam Rayners to Mamelodi Sundowns.