It was third time lucky in the year of 2023 for Stellenbosch FC as they reached the Carling Knockout final for the first time in the club’s history on Saturday.
Steve Barker’s side, who lost two semi finals, this season and last, beat Richards Bay 3-0 to reach the Carling Knockout final at the King Zwelithini Stadium, where they deserved to coast through as they were never given a threat nor a fight by the KwaZulu-Natal side that was disappointing on the day.
All goals came in the second half, with Devin Titus nodded from close range after Philasande Manqele fumbled a cross in his box and Anicet Oura kneed the second for Barker’s side to silence the crowd in Umlazi. Sub Antonio Van Wyk cut inside later on to beat Manqele, who had no chance to save the goal.
Stellies will now meet the winner between AmaZulu against TS Galaxy in the final, who are playing at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday afternoon, at the Durban 2010 World Cup venue on 16 December.
Bay will rue the chance in the eighth minute, when Justice Figareido could not connect well from the searching pass of Abdi Banda, with the latter playing in this competition for the first time, after it was rumoured he wouldn’t since he is Muslim and this competition is sponsor by Carling.
Manqele, who played in the previous rounds in this competition, was restored in goals as coach Kaitano Tembo kept faith in the youngster, who was writing his matric recently.
He almost fumbled a cross of Oura in the 23rd minute, but luckily the ball, having squired under his grasp, went for a corner.
In a day that was humid in Durban, it quickly became cool and that help Stellies players to get into their gears.
Steve Barker’s Stellies have appeared in the last three cup semi-finals this year, but they didn’t show that experience in the first half, despite shading the game a bit.
While Manqele got away with things in the first half, he couldn’t in the second as Titus nodded an easy goal in the 51st minute for Stellies. Manqele could only palm the ball from Iqraam Rayners into play and was punished, with Stellies going ahead deservedly.
Bay continued to look poor in this game, not forcing an issue to Stellies, whose goalkeeper Sage Stephens was ‘unemployed’.
Stellies sensed blood and increase the lead as Oura knock home the second with his knee to kill the game as the contest, scoring from a corner from Fawaaz Basadien in the 69th minute. Van Wyk put the nail in the final coffin in the 86th minute, as he was allowed space to cut inside and rifled in a brilliant shot at the far post.
After that, Bay were crushed and they were soundly defeated by the vibrant Stellies side.
Coach Steve Barker will contest a second final in his coaching career, having lost the Nedbank Cup in 2009 when his then first division side, University of Pretoria, lost to Moroka Swallows 14 years ago.
