Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has promised to push his team to the maximum in the Premier Soccer League game against Mamelodi Sundowns scheduled for Sunday, May 11.
Masandawana are on course to win their eighth consecutive league title; they are currently on 61 points from the 24 games played. Orlando Pirates, who are trailing by 12 points from 22 matches, hope the defending champions drop points in the remaining assignments.
Barker's men are chasing the top three positions to play in the Caf Confederation Cup in the 2025/26 season. Stellies who are fourth with 44 points after 25 games, however, are facing stiff competition from Sekhukhune United, who are currently third with 45 points from 26 assignments.
It explains why the tactician says he has no option but to ensure his team delivers this weekend against the defending champions.
Stellies ready for ‘best team in Africa' Sundowns
“Yes, it will, it will go to the last game of the season for sure, they are also playing well, they are also picking up results, so you know both teams are applying pressure on each other. So, I do think it will go all the way to the wire,” he said as quoted by SABC Sport.
“[Sundowns are] one of the best teams, if not the best team in Africa. So, we know that whenever we play Sundowns, we have to be at our best, tactically, technically. You have to execute your game plan really well, but even if you do that, they've got individual brilliance all around.
“So, a tough game, but we aim to be competitive against Sundowns. We also gotta believe that we can go there and we can get a result if we want to show that we also wanna slowly become a team that's challenging for league titles, being consistently good on the continent. So, it's this type of team, like Sundowns, that is a good benchmark to see where we are,” Barker concluded.
It will be the fourth time the teams are meeting this season across all competitions; Stellies won two MTN8 games, in a two-legged semi-final, while the Brazilians won the first meeting in the league.
