Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker says he’s always happy for his players and staff to grow but it can make games against sides like Orlando Pirates more difficult because of the added quality.
Stellies have lost Sihle Nduli to Pirates, while former performance analyst Ruan Rust has also joined the defending MTN8 champions this season.
The sides have met this season in the Betway Premiership and Stellies lost 1-0 in Orlando, where Barker admitted that the quality of the former Stellies employees was visible.
Barker conceded that he is happy to see people grow and reach their full potential, adding that Stellies are already working at ways of creating more of what they have lost.
“Ruan is a quality conditioning coach, a sports scientist, you know he’s of a high level,” said Barker.
“I’ve always said that in my opinion, he could work at a club in Europe and not be out of place at all. So obviously, it’s good for people when they do move on and get other opportunities. And I’m sure Ruan will eventually reach his dreams of going even further.
“When I look at a game like today, I look at it and I see Sihle Nduli. He’s all of a sudden become a crucial player for Pirates. He hasn’t missed a minute, I don’t think. Hopefully he’ll be okay for Saturday.
“And then we have a player that we brought in, like Mthetheleli Mthiyane and Mthetheleli I think you can see already Sihle having over 100 caps for us before he left. So, the same type of situation, Mthiyane will grow into a real quality South African footballer at the highest level in the PSL.
“So it does sometimes, when you look at it and you think, that’s why Sihle was so important to us. The amount of sort of a tax he broke down, the energy that he gives, experience that he gives them, but it’s just part of the process.
“And it’s something that we just need to be positive, keep focused and know that it won’t be long before players that have come in will be making their mark and showing why we brought them.”
Stellies are back in action on Saturday when tehy could reach back-to-back MTN8 finals, carrying a 2-0 first-leg lead into their clash at Sekhukhune United.
