Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker says Sunday’s Carling Knockout quarter-final against Marumo Gallants will be a different challenge to their league encounter on Thursday.
Thabo Moloisane grabbed a late winner for Barker’s team at the DHL in their Betway Premiership fixture, to give the Carling defending champions the psychological advantage ahead of the cup game.
However, Barker said he’s expecting a different challenge in Bloemfontein and feels that his team might have to call on their recent experience of winning two-legged ties in both the MTN8 and CAF Confederation Cup.
Gallants coach Dan Malesela is also expected to be back on the bench, after missing the game in Cape Town due to illness.
“No, I think it felt like they came to get a point, and hopefully maybe, catch us on the break or a set piece,” Barker said after the Thursday win.
“And they weren’t as possession-based as they can sometimes be. So, I do anticipate, on the weekend, they’ll make one or two changes and try and dominate the game a little bit more in terms of trying to keep the ball and move us around, as opposed to them just sitting a little bit like they’ve done in the first half, especially.
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“So, ja, we have to be prepared for that. And again, it’s one of those games, as you said about the league, it’s, Sunday in Bloemfontein, not easy, but we have to find a way to get past, and beating a team twice within three four days is not easy.
“But fortunately, we have done it recently against [Mamelodi] Sundowns, also Vita, as well as Spurs [Nsingizini Hotspur]. So we’ve learnt a little bit with the cup success to play back-to-back teams in four days.
“And it’s going to be a different challenge. But again, we have to improve also in certain areas and come up with something different to hopefully also cause them problems. I don’t think we cause them enough problems defensively this evening.”
