We’re going to make things tough for Pirates, says Barker

Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker’s team were not disgraced in their 1-0 Telkom Knockout last-16 loss to Orlando Pirates at the weekend and he is confident they can do better when they meet the Buccaneers in a league game at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

Thembinkosi Lorch’s 85thminute scorcher gave Bucs their ticket to the quarterfinals of the TKO‚ but Barker was happy with his team’s zeal and resistance in what was their first taste of a big cup game since their promotion to the PSL at the beginning of the current campaign.

“There are some things we need to work on‚” Barker said. “We need to improve in certain areas.

“We can’t be foolish to think that [on Saturday] we can play in a similar way and defend for 90 minutes.

”It was a good exercise and we learnt a lot from it.”

The coach has asked his players in the week between their two meetings against Pirates to raise their game to stand a good chance of being considered for Saturday’s rematch.

“I’ve requested and demanded that the players give me a headache in terms of selection‚” he said.

“It should be a tough environment where everybody wants to start‚ everybody wants [to play on Saturday] and Lee [Langeveldt‚ the goalkeeper] put his hand up [in the TKO game] with a man-of-the-match performance.

“I’m very pleased with the other players’ performances.and maybe I will be like other coaches and have selection posers.

“Everybody in the squad has great quality and they showed it,” Barker said.