Barker says the pressure is on Sundowns, not Stellies, in MTN8 clash

Stellenbosch head coach Steve Barker has tried to ease the tension on his players and place it on their opponents Mamelodi Sundowns ahead of their MTN8 semi-final clash at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville on Wednesday (7pm kick-off).

The two teams will lock horns over two legs in the last four of the Wafa Wafa competition this week in a bid to make the final where they would face Cape Town City or defending champions Orlando Pirates.

Ahead of Wednesday night’s match, Barker revealed to the media that he felt his youthful Stellies side would be fearless in their approach to the game considering the pressure on their more fancied opponents.

Sundowns fell victim to Pirates in the MTN8 and the Nedbank Cup finals last season.

Now poised with the opportunity to right last season’s wrongs, the Chloorkop-based outfit has a difficult hurdle to overcome in the energetic Stellies.

“I don’t think we have anything to lose as a club,” Barker said. They (Sundowns) haven’t had the best history in this competition so I believe the pressure is all on them to advance; they lost two finals last season.

“For us, it’s a matter of us going out there and enjoying ourselves. I think in these situations when you have young players like Major (Langelihle Phili), I think you let them go do what they’ve done to get themselves in this position and keep their enthusiasm.

“We all know our team is a youthful team, we have a lot of exuberance and sometimes you just need that to be unleashed.”

Stellies will not need to look far for inspiration, having eliminated Sundowns from last year’s edition of the Nedbank Cup.

The Cape Winelands-based club are also in their fifth consecutive semi-final and head into this encounter with a good dose of confidence and experience. Having won the Carling Knockout Cup in the last campaign, Stellies are expected to be no easy match for Sundowns.

Barker’s charges have already been given reasonable practice in integrating their new signings and finding solutions to life without some of their departed stars.

Stellies recently trounced eSwatini side Nsingizini Hotspurs in the CAF Confederation Cup first preliminary round, accumulating valuable game time and confidence.

Although the club’s top scorer from last season, Iqraam Rayners joined Sundowns in recent weeks, he will not be eligible to face his former club having already represented Stellies in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

The match-ups all over the field are expected to be crucial in this encounter alongside both coaches’ tactical nuances.

Having recently impressed in the Confed Cup, it remains to be seen whether Barker will throw 19-year-old Phili in the deep end with the possibility of tussling against Bafana international Khuliso Mudau on the flanks.

Jayden Adams’ head-to-head with Bafana teammate Tebogo Mokoena is also expected to be vital in deciding the match.