Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker is plainly disappointed in the decision to force his side to play their Nedbank Cup quarterfinal against Kaizer Chiefs in Gqeberha, feeling the club’s fans are being robbed of a chance to watch a prime fixture.
The unavailability of a stadium in Cape Town for the home match has forced Saturday’s game to be played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
“I need to make it clear. I'm very disappointed that we can't play a quarterfinal of the Nedbank Cup in front of our home fans,” said Barker, whose side won 1-0 away at Marumo Gallants on Tuesday in the Betway Premiership in the perfect preparation for the cup tie.
“It's not good for us as a team, as a club and it’s not good for our fans. It is disappointing.
“Obviously, the first disappointment is that it's not the first time, and it doesn't seem like it's going to be the last time that there won't be a stadium available for matches.
"So that's disappointing to believe that a solution cannot somehow be found going forward.
“It's just not conducive to continue not playing even in your own province, and denying your fans,” the coach added.
“Secondly, the other disappointment for me is maybe the league not finding a way to accommodate the fixture on the Sunday.”
Barker feels it could have been played 24 hours later than scheduled which would then have allowed it to go ahead in Cape Town.
“I don't know what they could have been done more, but I just feel that had the shoe been on the other foot, maybe it could have been different.”
Stellenbosch municipality previously banned any games against Chiefs at the Danie Craven Stadium following the vandalism that followed the MTN8 meeting between the two clubs in August 2022.