Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena says the Carling Knockout title was the football God’s repaying Stellenbosch and Steve Barker.
Mokwena’s charges who are in Cairo for their CAF Champions League group stage clash against Pyramids, were knocked out of the first round of the competition by TS Galaxy.
The Rockets went on to reach the final against Stellies and despite taking the lead, they went on to lose 5-4 on penalties after the 1-1 draw at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
But Mokwena feels there was a progression towards this title for Stellies, ironically, having knocked them out of the Nedbank Cup last season at the quarter-final stage.
“Great to hear [that] Stellenbosch were crowned Black Label Champions, it’s been coming, they have been playing exceptionally well, especially the last couple of seasons, they’ve been strong, semi-finalists of most competitions and coming close,” Mokwena said.
“Eventually the football Gods repaid them and congratulations to Stevie Barker, who is a great man and great gentleman of football, he’s been in the game, and we look up to him as one of the Godfathers of the coaching fraternity in South African football.
“We want to extend incredibly congratulatory messages as us Mamelodi Sundowns, congratulations to Stellenbosch, the players, the technical team, the entire football club and management.”
Stellies are currently fifth in the DStv Premiership, 10 points behind league leaders Sundowns.
