Stephens: We Can Challenge Pirates
Stellenbosch FC goalkeeper Sage Stephens is confident that his side can go toe to toe against cup specialists Orlando Pirates ahead of their MTN8 final clash at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday (18:00).
The odds are firmly stacked against Steve Barker’s men as the Soweto Giants look to secure a historic three-peat of the top eight competition to become the first club in South African football history to achieve the feat. But, despite that, the Stellenbosch goal-minder says they have accumulated experience in cup competitions to cause an upset, having won their first domestic top-flight trophy last season in the form of the Carling Knockout.
“Our mindset is always strong, we are well prepared, we are fortunate enough with these cup competitions, ” Stephens said.
“We have experienced it with the Carling Cup, I think we’ve got a bit of experience, so we are ready for this one and very excited obviously.”
With the showdown in Durban set to be a sold-out affair, Stephens says the Cape Winelands outfit will look to draw inspiration from their continental experience and bank on the Stellies faithful to shrug off the nerves.
“The experience that we had in Kinshasa [vs AS Vita] also prepared us well for this coming weekend, ” he said. “The stadium was full, fans were phenomenal, and they put us under a lot of pressure, but I think with a sold-out event there’s going to be nerves guaranteed no matter what you do.
“I think like our coach said, once our fans get going, we need to use that to motivate ourselves to work even harder and to start putting in the grind.”
The 33-year-old shot-stopper has made an honest admission that the defending champions look like a well-oiled machine, acknowledging their solid defensive record this season and the pace they possess on the attack.
“I think they are a well-coached team,” Stephens stated. “If you look at their form they’re also doing very well, they don’t concede often which is a strength of theirs, and going forward with the pace that they have it’s also going to be challenging.”
However, the former AmaZulu goalkeeper is adamant that Stellies can give the Buccaneers a tough time as they are also in form, stating that whoever puts more effort on Saturday will come out victorious.
“But in the same breath we also have the same talent, ” said Stephens. “I think we match them perfectly because if you look at it both teams are in form at the moment, we are also not conceding often which is a good thing our defence is strong, and I think whoever pitches up on the day will take the trophy.”
