Durban set for Carling KO final to remember

DURBAN’S Moses Mabhida Stadium might be in for a humdinger of a Carling Knockout Cup final next Saturday with the energetic Stellenbosch FC to arrive high on confidence after iKapa Derby triumph over Cape Town City on Friday night.

The match ended 1-0 with Anicet Oura grabbing the first half winner for Stellies at Danie Craven Stadium in the Winelands.

The Stellenbosch side average the age of 26 years, which should influence their cup final opponent TS Galaxy’s preparations as it happened with City coach, Eric Tinkler on Friday.

“I think the first 45 minutes is what killed us,” said Tinkler. “I explained to the players that this team, first and foremost, play with a lot of energy. They play with a lot of intensity.

“More importantly, they play with a lot of aggression, looking to win their duels, and the threat is the ball coming in behind our defence. Also, another threat is the second ball, and we didn’t deal with that.

“In the first half, we struggled to deal with it. Their goal came from a counter-attack. We weren’t strong enough or aggressive enough to win our duels.

Victorious Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker said he felt his team showed greater desire in the match.

“If I had to pinpoint what the difference was between the two sides, I thought it was just the desire to win the game,” said Barker. “The commitment from Stellenbosch was great, and tactically, we were spot on.

“Cape Town City are a good team and they were coming off with numerous victories under the belt. We knew that it would be a tough game and it was wonderful playing at home again after four matches on the road.

The coach has shared some insight into the tactical approach that helped Stellenbosch FC record a Cape Derby win over rivals Cape Town City last night 🧠

Read the interview below ⬇️

— Stellenbosch FC (@StellenboschFC) December 9, 2023

“I’m super proud and excited about this victory. They are a team that wants to play out from the back. They want to suck you in and break lines.

“But our continued pressing and effort to close down their centre backs and their wing-backs helped to put pressure on their midfield and (Khanyisa) Mayo upfront.

“It is never easy when your tactics are to press a team, knowing that they are a good ball-playing team. You can lose your shape, but I think the reward from doing it often, and long enough, far outweighed the risk of them playing out and opening the pitch. They did on one or two occasions but fortunately, we dealt with it.”

City will have a two-week break before they host Premiership log-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns on Christmas Eve in an afternoon clash in Green Point.

Stellies will this week set their sights on their first-ever cup final appearance.

Their opponents played Orlando Pirates at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday night.