Stellenbosch head coach Steve Barker is hoping for a positive result against AmaZulu on Wednesday, but knows it will not be easy.
Barker was disappointed to concede a late equaliser in their last match against Swallows, a result that saw them slip down the table to fifth position.
“We did concede late to drop a possible win,” Barker told the club’s media department.
“So we dropped two points for that late goal conceded, which it was for me very devastating, because I knew the impact it would have on the log, and it’s such a tight log, from position two down to ten, eleven, there’s not much difference.
“So there’s very fine margins in this league to continue to be where we want to be, and that’s at the top end of the table, those are matches that you want to be able to see out but I did know that after that game, we wouldn’t play for a while, I knew the log would change because other teams would be playing and I warned the players that by the time we do play again, don’t be surprised if we lying in fifth or sixth position, which is exactly the case.
But Barker says a good result against AmaZulu could see them go back to joint second.
“However a positive result against AmaZulu put us back joint second with Royal AM so there’s a lot to play for.
“It’s a team also, AmaZulu, that are really doing well, for them to be doing as well as they are in the Champions League qualification stages, as well as getting past earlier against a TP Mazembe team, big teams on the continent that AmaZulu are doing well against, formidable opposition.
“But they in our own league also have ambitions to be at the top end of the table. So these are type of games that for me become six pointers, massive game for us as a team.
“And so we want to rectify one or two of the things that we weren’t as good as we should be against Baroka and Swallows.
“But ja, we’ve had good opportunity and a good break between the games to prepare well, and a couple of players that have joined the club like Sibonginseni Mthethwa has really come in and hit the ground running, a player like Juan Ortiz is also finding his feet.
“So that little bit of opportunity of not playing and work with the players on the training ground has been beneficial for us. So ja, we’re well prepared and looking forward to a big game against AmaZulu.”
