STEVE BARKER PRAISES HIS PLAYERS FOLLOWING THE WIN AGAINST NSINGIZINI HOTSPURS

Stellenbosch FC coach sang praises for his side following their dominant performance which saw his side dispatch the Eswatini side Nsingizini Hotspurs 3-0 in their CAF Confederations Cup first leg on Saturday at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

“I thought we started the game well and that we had good control, especially in the first 45 minutes. We moved the ball around well, we were patient in our build-up, and we played with a lot of confidence,” said Barker on the club’s website.

Barker lauded the opposition for their preparedness for the match adding that they faced difficulties trying to penetrate their defence.

“As expected, our opposition are a very well-coach and well-drilled team in terms of their defensive structure, which made it difficult for us to create chances.

“The key was to remain patient and keep probing, and then hopefully something would happen. As it was, from good open-play football, we ended up scoring from more of a messy situation.

“But, sometimes you get rewarded that way from the pressure you apply on the opposition, and something comes from it, and I thought we were worth our lead heading into the second half. he said.

The Eswatini side has a difficult task ahead of them of overcoming the 3-0 deficit in the return leg which will be played next Saturday at the same venue. 

“…One thing that we need to understand, is that the tie is not over,” Barker added. “The game is not finished, it’s only half-time. We have to come out next week and show the same character and attitude towards the game.

“I can anticipate that our opponents will really come out for it because they have nothing to lose. They need to try to get themselves back into the tie, so we expect another tough game, as was the case today.

“We’re looking forward to it though and we’ve got a week of preparation ahead. We’ll get back to Cape Town, get a bit of refreshment and regeneration, and then prepare for next week…” the coach cocluded.