Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker hailed his players mental fortitude after a scrappy 1-0 home win over AmaZulu on Tuesday lifted them into third sport in the Betway Premiership.
Sanele Barns’ 29th minute goal saw Stellenbosch move above Sekhukhune United and TS Galaxy onto 28 points in the standings and give themselves a boost before they take on Simba away in Tanzania on Sunday in the first leg of their African Confederation Cup semifinal tie.
“It was a massive one for me, winning a game like this after having qualified for the semifinal, coming back from Egypt and then playing on a Tuesday in difficult conditions,” said Barker of a bumpy pitch and swirling wind, which contributed to a midfield slugfest.
It was Stellenbosch’ first game since snatching a 1-0 triumph away over holders Zamalek in the second leg of their Confederation Cup quarterfinal tie.
“It was always a test of our character, of what we need to do if we really want to continue to want to be at the top end of the table and competing on different fronts to find different ways to win games,” added the Stellenbosch coach
“Obviously, the bumpy pitch and the wind didn't make it easy, so it was all about just grounding out the result.
“I thought both teams in the first half didn't play the conditions well with a lot of turnovers, they lost the ball in their final third, where we sort of had opportunities and, at times, we also got a little bit stuck in our own half, which created chances for them.”
Barker said he had told his players at halftime to concentrate on not making mistakes so they could preserve their lead.
“We felt we could see it out if we didn’t give them anything, no free kicks in our own final third and just play per centage football, knowing that we would have opportunities on the transition because they were obviously desperate and would be coming out,” he added.
“But unfortunately, we just didn't get the second goal to bury the game. So then became a question of just seeing it out, defending well, showing a little bit of character and a little bit of fight to get the three points that we needed.
“So yeah, I’m very pleased with the result and how we got it. I think it was a character-building game for us.”