What Barker Said To Stellies At HT To Inspire Memorable Sundowns Win

Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker has opened up on his half-time team talk and admits having Iqraam Rayners is a blessing after their 2-1 comeback win to dump Mamelodi Sundowns out the Nedbank Cup.

Sundowns looked to be heading towards the semi-finals after Aubrey Modiba forced an own goal from Lee Langeveldt in a captivating first half at Athlone Stadium where Rulani Mokwena’s side arrived unbeaten in their last 26 games in all competitions.

But Iqraam Rayners and his Stellies troops had other ideas, with the March Premier Soccer League Player of the Month inflicting the first defeat of the Coach of the Month, since becoming sole head coach of Masandawana.

“Sitting here a really proud man, I thought it was top-class performance from everybody in terms of efforts, commitment, our defensive structure and organisation, and obviously a team like Sundowns will dominate possession,” Barker said in the post-match press conference at Athlone Stadium.

“They will have their moments and chances but I do feel, even though they dominated possession, if you look at the game, it’s not like Langeveldt had to make many saves, so I was proud of the way they defended, we knew our best chance would be on transition moments and we did create a couple.

“If you have a player like Iqraam Rayners in your team, you always have an opportunity to score goals, so he’s been magnificent in this Nedbank Cup so far – and you know he’s scored two in every round, well done to him.

“But I can’t single out any player, every single player, in my opinion, could have got Man of the Match – so really proud of a really good performance from the team.”

Barker was then pressed to detail what transpired in the dressing room to spark such a brace second-half display against the reigning champions of the competition and one the reasons he stated was the honour of the late Oshwin Andries.

The midfielder-cum-defender who was South Africa U20 captain and a mainstay fixture in the Stellies first team squad, tragically passed away earlier this year in an off-the-field incident in Stellenbosch.

“I reminded them the reason we are here for and the message before the game was that we need to fight for the badge, this football club, we need to fight for each other, our family, friends and supporters of this club,” Barker said.

“We need to play in way that we honour Oshwin in this Nedbank Cup run and that was just a reminder we’re still in the game [at half-time] if we continue to play and work as hard as they did in the first half.

“[I said] if we can get something back [a goal] in the first 15-20 minutes [of the second half], then we have an opportunity to go on win the game, that was the message, one of just continue what you doing but some better decision making in certain moments.”