Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker has hailed defender Fawaaz Basadien after his Bafana Bafana exploits.
Consistency in Basadien’s performance is paying off after he started the season on a good note – scoring, assisting and keeping clean-sheets at the back.
The left-footer finally earned his second and third start in the Bafana Bafana starting lineup after Aubrey Modiba was withdrawn due to personal reasons. The Stellenbosch defender grabbed the opportunity with both hands and managed to do what he does best, which is to lay an assist against Benin away from home.
Speaking in an exclusive interview in the iDiski Times e-paper, Barker said he is not surprised by the growth of Basadien stating that that’s the reason they went after him when he was still at Moroka Swallows.
“No, I’m not surprised. I think we’ve always seen the quality of Fawaaz even before he came to us. Hence, we really worked hard to get him to our club. Ja, he takes a lot of things in his stride,” Barker told iDiski Times.
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“He’s a classy footballer, so he doesn’t get flustered by too many things. He trusts in his ability, and he’s comfortable on the ball, and his defending has improved a lot over the years, having played as a wing and as a number 10 in his younger career. So, ja, he’s got good all-around ability, strong in the air, both, attacking and defensively.
“He’s a good set-piece taker and a good quality provider of the ball. So ja, he has all attributes, so we’re not surprised at all.”
