Stellenbosch FC winger Devin Titus believes that as defending champions they have a target on their back and all teams will be gunning for them in the Carling Knockout Cup.
Titus and his charge will travel to King Zwelithini Stadium on Friday to kickstart their title defence against AmaZulu. Usuthu recently appointed Arthur Zwane and Vusumuzi Vilakazi as co-head coaches after parting ways with Pablo Franco Martin.
Stellies made history in December 2023 by lifting their first title since gaining promotion when they overcame TS Galaxy 5-4 on penalties after the match ended 1-1. They continued on the history-making path by making it to their first-ever MTN8 final where they went down 3-1 to Orlando Pirates.
“As defending champions, we have a target on our back and every team will be coming out full throttle against us, so we just have to do what we do best and hopefully we can reclaim our title at the end of the tournament,” Titus said on the club’s website.
The 23-year-old also reflected on winning a cup for the first time since joining top flight adding that it was a special moment and they are aiming to work hard to top it. He played a fundamental role in his side’s victory and his resounding performances earned him the Player of the Tournament nod.
“Being first-time champions was incredibly special, but now we have a responsibility as champions to own that status. It’s not enough to just show up, we have to be at our best in all four games,” the winger continued.
“It was a tournament where I just hit the mark, but a lot of it was down to my teammates and the technical staff who believed in me.”
“I’ve always said that if they give me the ball I will score, and if I can’t score I will find the pass to help someone else score, so me winning Player of the Tournament last season was a collective effort,” Titus concluded.
Steve Barker’s side looks to be continuing where they left off despite the departure of several key players including Deano van Rooyen, Antonio van Wyk and Iqraam Rayners to name a few.
The last time Stellies visited Usuthu they managed to scrap a 1-0 victory and it will be interesting to see if they can shock them again in front of their home fans.
Written by Siphesihle Soni