Steve Barker says it will be the biggest day in their history when Stellenbosch Football Club plays their first-ever cup final on Saturday when they face TS Galaxy in the Carling Knockout Cup.
The Cape Winelands side last lifted a trophy when they won promotion to the DStv Premiership five years ago. Since then they’ve never reached a cup final or lift a trophy.
Barker described the Carling Knockout Cup final as the special occasion despite having faced Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 quarterfinal and semifinals.
“I think it’s very special, for me the most special part is to see a young club not only with the players but also the management and ownership to be investing in the club and being in the final, it’s special for that, it’s special for the club,” Barker told the media.
“I think it’s special for the technical staff, it’s special for the community of Stellenbosch and the twin itself, massively special occasion for everyone involved in Stellenbosch hopefully we can go one step further and win the trophy. Getting into the final is one thing but to go and win it is obviously the aim on the weekend but massively special for everybody involved in the football club and I think we can all be proud of what we achieving and setting out to achieve. Hopefully Saturday can be a special occasion with us lifting the trophy.
The longest serving coach in the Premier Soccer League stated that there’s been special games played by the club but none of those are coming close to this one.
“When you play a league and we won the league and got promoted, the last match of the season to get promoted was one of the biggest in the club’s history. We actually didn’t win the game but got promoted so that was a special occasion.”
“There’s been other special occasions, the first time in the MTN8 quarterfinal against Kaizer Chiefs, the stadium packed the way it was at the time, semifinals against Orlando Pirates so there’s been some really special games but there’s none that we’ve played on the day that you win trophy. I think that makes it a very very special match for the club and I’m looking forward to it.”
