Stellies out to put Caf disappointment in the past

After bowing out of the Caf Confederation Cup, Stellenbosch will now shift their focus to the Betway Premiership with a clash against Chippa United at the Danie Craven Stadium on Wednesday night.

Kick-off is at 7:30pm (CAT, GMT+2)

CURRENT FORM

As one of the busiest sides in South African football, Stellenbosch were eliminated from the Caf Confederation Cup this past weekend following a 1-0 aggregate defeat against Simba across two legs.

Stellies last featured in the league on 15 April, where they bagged a 1-0 win against AmaZulu on home soil.

Stellenbosch are currently in fourth position on the league table, while their upcoming opponents occupy eighth after 23 matches played.

The Chilli Boys head into their next game on the back of a 0-0 draw with Kaizer Chiefs, in a game that took place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on the 19th of April.

WHAT WAS SAID

Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker believes that his side can cap off a good season by qualifying for the Caf Confederations Cup yet again.

“We have a big game on Wednesday in the league and so it's important for us to refocus. We've got less than a month to turn the season into a special season,” Barker said.

“So if we can manage to again qualify for Confed, having made the MTN final, having made the (Caf) semifinal, I think we can then look back at the season as being a really really good season. But as I say, it's still a lot of work to be done.”

Reflecting on Chippa’s stalemate with Amakhosi, Chilli Boys mentor Thabo September lauded his team’s resilience in sticking to their original game plan.

“There were moments when we were caught with some balls going over the full-back on the left from diagonal balls, but managing the game for them not to come through the middle was part of our game plan, and we did that very well,” September said.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Stellenbosch FC: Sanele Barns – With Stellenbosch aiming for a lofty position in the Betway Premiership this season, Barns’ experience and cool head in the middle of the park will no doubt come in handy during crucial fixtures at the back end of the campaign.

Chippa United: Justice Chabalala – In facing a sophisticated Stellies attack, Chabalala’s defensive know-how will be tested yet again this week. Should Chippa opt for a more rigid approach against Stellenbosch, like they did against Chiefs, the Gqeberha outfit could frustrate Barker and company on Wednesday evening.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Last five league results

2022/23 Stellenbosch FC 1-1 Chippa United

2022/23 Chippa United 1-2 Stellenbosch FC

2023/24 Chippa United 0-0 Stellenbosch FC

2023/24 Stellenbosch FC 1-1 Chippa United

2024/25 Chippa United 0-2 Stellenbosch FC