sportskeeda
Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker has commended the impressive displays of South African teams in this season’s CAF competitions.
His comments came after Stellenbosch advanced to the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup, alongside Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, both of whom earned their places in the CAF Champions League semi-finals.
This marks a significant achievement for South African football, as all three teams have reached the semi-final stage. Barker highlighted this success as indicative of the progress in South African football, particularly given Bafana Bafana’s recent promising performances.
“I believe we’ve shown considerable advancement in a very short time,” Barker remarked.
“We secured a cup [Carling Knockout] in our domestic league last season, and this year we made it to the final of the MTN8 Cup. We’ve often faced teams like Orlando Pirates and Sundowns and have held our own.”
“Both Pirates and Sundowns are also making progress, which underscores the strength of South African football. Our national team is performing well at AFCON, and we might have a shot at qualifying for the World Cup.”
“I believe this is a healthy development, and it’s uplifting to see regions competing against the dominant powers of African football, especially in North Africa.”
“We take immense pride in our accomplishments and look forward to the match against Simba.”
Regarding their upcoming Confederation Cup semi-final against Simba, Barker mentioned that he initially anticipated facing Al Masry instead of Fadlu Davids’ Simba.
“I was quite sure we would meet Al Masry again in two weeks, but it seems Simba has prevailed,” he noted.
