Barker hopes for a fair MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates

Steve Barker is evidently still smarting from the controversial 3-1 defeat his Stellenbosch FC side suffered to Orlando Pirates in last year’s MTN8 final.

Immediately after guiding his team to this year’s final — once again against the Buccaneers — Barker spoke with a heavy heart about his wishes for the upcoming tie.

“All I hope is that the game is not decided by a controversial moment. It must just be a fair contest,” Barker said deep in the bowels of Peter Mokaba Stadium after Stellies drew 1-1 with Sekhukhune United.

The result meant Stellenbosch progressed past the semifinal via a 3-1 aggregate victory.

“Controversial” is the apt description for last year’s final. Pirates took a 2-1 lead in a match that was fast heading for extra time after a goal that many referees would probably not have allowed. The Buccaneers earned a free kick inside Stellies’ half but quickly took it, some metres away from where the incident occurred.

They gained an unfair advantage, and Tshegofatso Mabasa slotted home the second goal. Relebohile Mofokeng, who had taken the set piece, put the final nail in Stellies’ coffin as Pirates completed an unprecedented third successive MTN8 victory for teams that finished in the top eight the season before.

Barker insists that his team is long past that loss and will not be going into the final seeking revenge.

“It is not about redemption, not about anything. It is a new game. Pirates have changed coaches. They are a good team and they showed it midweek when they dominated us,” he said, referring to Stellies’ 1-0 Betway Premiership loss at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday.

Though revenge will not be the driving force, motivation will not be lacking.

“As coaches and players, you want to be playing in as many finals and win as many trophies as possible to leave a legacy and be able to show your children and grandchildren the medals and trophies. It’s important, and that’s why the players put in effort every day and work hard. We have massive ambition to lift trophies, and we are one game from achieving that.”

Meanwhile, Sekhukhune’s coach Eric Tinkler, as losing coaches often do, lamented the defeat.

“This game was always going to be very, very difficult. We came from a 2-0 loss in the first leg. The plan was to try and get an early goal to get ourselves back into the game. And if I look at the performances, we tried that.

"I cannot fault the guys’ effort. We had a great chance early on but hit the bar. It could have made it 1-1 and the game would have been different. We could have put them under pressure.

“In the end, it was Stellies who won to set up a repeat of last year’s final, one that Steve Barker hopes will not be decided controversially this time around.”

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