Stellies not in game of ‘buying success’
● There’s one club that could have been competing pound-for-pound with Mamelodi Sundowns when it comes to signing top players and winning honours in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) but chose the less travelled, though equally fulfilling, route.
That club is Stellenbosch FC, whose owners Remgro Group have pockets as deep as Sundowns — if not deeper.
Steve Barker, the longest serving coach at any of the 16 clubs in South Africa’s top flight, explains that Stellies chose “to create opportunities instead of buying success”.
He adds that everyone at the club is happy that their strategy is close to bearing its biggest fruit since Stellies gained promotion to the PSL in 2019 — this after an amazing start to the 2023-2024 campaign.
Stellies now have a core group of young players they’ve developed, including Devin Titus (23), Mervin Boji (22), Kyle Jurgens (20), Antonio van Wyk (21) and Jayden Adams (21).
These players epitomise what Stellies has been doing in recent seasons, recruiting gems while they’re young and developing them for the future. “We don’t buy success but we create opportunities,” insists Barker.
“It’s the way we do things. The plan has always been to have that core group of young players to be with us for years to come, which in my opinion will allow us to challenge to win trophies. We’re starting to see the rewards of investing in young players. Some have gone but we still have the ability to compete.”
Stellies have won eight and drew one of their last nine matches in all competitions. That amazing run has brought them into the final of the Carling Knockout Cup against TS Galaxy at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday.
Barker, whose side has already beaten Galaxy 3-0 in one of the five matches they recently won in the DStv Premiership, says the club is getting its due reward for its patience with young players, and for the seamless synergy they strive to create between these players.
Stellies were forced to refresh their squad before the start of the season after losing 12 players such as Sibongeseni Mthethwa to Kaizer Chiefs, Junior Mendieta to Sundowns and 19-year-old defender Olwethu Makhanya, who was signed up by Philadelphia in the Major League Soccer in the US.
“We’re a club that think and plan ahead and obviously we lost some of our great players. But if you look at Thabo Molosiane coming in (from Maritzburg United) with experience, he’s a really good centre-back. Ivorian Olivier Toure (Ivory Coast), a quality centre-back, has come; Darren Matsheke (from Chiefs) has come in; Oura Anicet (Ivory Coast) and Kgaugelo Sekgota (Chiefs). Those are really good players, and most of them are starting most of our games this season already,” said Barker after his side’s 1-0 win over Cape Town City in the Cape derby at Danie Craven Stadium on Friday, courtesy of Anicet’s first-half strike.
“The changes did make the first part of the season tough for us, but once we sort of find the puzzle then things have gone well. But the other key is not to become complacent. It’s possible that we can do something special this season.”
That “special thing” may well come on Saturday if Stellies lift the Carling Cup after impressive away wins over Chippa (2-1), Polokwane City (2-0) and Richards Bay (3-0) set up a date with Galaxy. “It’s not often that you make the final, I’m trusting that we’ll go all out,” said the 55-year-old Barker.
He says he is dedicating the final to his late uncle Clive Barker, the former Bafana coach who passed away this year, and Oshwin Andries (19), the Stellies defender who died in January after being stabbed in a bar fight in Stellenbosch. “It’s such a pity that for our fans it’s so far for them to travel. We’re bussing some of them and it’s a long trip. Hopefully we can reward them.”
We’re starting to see the rewards of investing in young players
Steve Barker
Stellenbosch FC coach