Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has hailed defender Thabo Moloisane for consistently delivering Man of the Match-worthy performances as his side prepares for a clash against Mamelodi Sundowns.
The 26-year-old played an integral part during their 3-0 thrashing of Golden Arrows, he netted the third goal.
His impressive showings have earned him a national team call-up. He was part of the Bafana Bafana squad that defeated Lesotho and Benin during the World Cup qualifiers in March.
Barker tipped Moloisane to be amongst the contenders for the Defender of the Season award.
“Thabo has been superb throughout the season. He got his due recognition by making the last Bafana Bafana squad, and I would be very surprised if he’s not in line to win the Defender of the Season award,” he said on the club’s website.
“He’s been consistent for us throughout the year, really solid, and another very good performance from him against Arrows.”
The Cape Winelands’ club are preparing for a clash against the defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday, 11 March. This is a must-win match for them to be able to finish in a continental competition qualification spot.
They are currently sitting fourth on the Betway Premiership table with 44 points.
“Whenever you play Sundowns it will be tough, they are a difficult team to play against. I think they’ve only lost two games this season, and they are one of the best teams, if not the best team in Africa, Barker continued.
“We know that whenever we play them, we have to be at our best and that tactically and technically we will have to execute our game plan really well. Even if you do, they have individual brilliance all around the park, so it will be a tough game.
“We’ve shown ourselves to be competitive against Sundowns though, so we also have to believe that we can go there and get a result and show them that we want to become a team that is challenging for league titles and being consistently good on the continent.
“It’s these types of teams like Sundowns that are a good benchmark for us to see where we are,” he concluded.