Barker wants Stellenbosch to ‘regroup, regenerate’
STELLENBOSCH FC coach Steve Barker has welcomed the six-week break provided by the commencement of the Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast.
The continental showpiece will kick off on Saturday and continue until February 11, which means all domestic leagues take a brief hiatus, with the DStv Premiership set to reconvene on February 13.
If Bafana Bafana make it to the final of the competition, Stellies are unlikely to have midfielder Jayden Adams available in their first match back as he forms part of Hugo Broos’ squad.
The Cape Winelands club have had a historic opening round of the 2023/2024 campaign, having captured their first top-flight piece of silverware by winning the Carling Knockout Cup.
Stellies’ first half of the season was extended by a further week as they also participated in an exhibition match against the Carling All-Stars. The Western Cape outfit indicated their early potential in their MTN8 semi-final duel with Orlando Pirates as they were only eliminated on away goals after playing to a 2-2 draw with the Buccaneers over two legs.
Barker is unsurprisingly grateful for the mid-season reprieve as he tries to manage his young and thin squad for the rest of the season.
“Yeah, it is what it is. We knew from the beginning of the season
that because of Afcon, then there would be a break. So, we have planned our periodisation,” he told the media. “We have looked at this one season as two seasons, so we’re looking forward to the second half of the season.
“And it will be a good rest for the players because it’s been a very busy couple of months and they deserve a break, so they’ll get a good 10-to-12-day break, and we can reconvene refreshed.
“There’s obviously a lot of ambition we have as a football club. We want to be challenging at the top end of the table, so it’s important that we regroup and regenerate because it’s going to be a busy period between February and May.”
The Premiership break comes during a period where Stellies are enjoying a rich vein of form, having grabbed 10 wins in their last 11 matches in all competitions.
Barker’s men claimed the scalps of Orlando Pirates, Cape Town City and AmaZulu in that run.
Stellenbosch occupy fourth spot in the league and are just three points off second-placed Cape Town City, with a game in hand.
With very little expected in the January transfer window from Stellenbosch, Barker will hope the likes of leading goalscorer Iqraam Rayners and Adams return to the fold still in their groove as they make a push for a CAF spot.
Stellies will return to local action on February 13 against AmaZulu at the Danie Craven Stadium.