Fawaaz Basadien of Stellenbosch FC will have a lot to play for going forward after he became a father. BackpagePix
Giant-killers Stellenbosch FC fresh from their Orlando Pirates conquest will be strengthened by the return of Fawaaz Basadien for Sunday's CAF Confederation Cup match against RSB Berkane on Sunday, 8 December, at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker said Basadien had been celebrating a significant milestone in his personal life because he became a father for the first time. “Fawaaz Basadien became a father for the first time (last Sunday), so congratulations to him," said Barker
The club granted him paternity leave but the left back, one of the team's most valuable players, will return to action against RSB Berkane, the log leaders in the Moroccan domestic league. Since Morocco has a world ranking of 14, the visitors will be a force to be reckoned with in Durban.
While Stellenbosch will be pleased for Basadien's return, Berkane will be arriving without their Brazilian player Matheus Santos who suffered an injury during the team's training session.
Berkane's statement read: "He underwent a set of careful medical examinations under the supervision of the team’s medical staff, through which it was found that it was a grade 1 muscle injury. It requires a treatment period ranging between three and four weeks before returning to the fields.”
After the disappointment of their maiden Confederation Cup group stage match which ended in a 2-0 defeat to Mali’s Stade Malien at the Stade de 26 Mars last week, Stellenbosch will want to return to winning ways on Sunday.
Barker was not disheartened by the result and said his side played better than Stade Malien, had won the competition twice in the past five years and last season were runners-up to Zamalek of Egypt in the final.
“We lost 2-0 but I believe they were beatable, and I am confident that when we play them back at home we will be able to overturn the result," said Barker.
“It was a learning curve for us and a good experience. During the game, we played nine players aged 23 or younger so there is a lot of learning to be done."
Stellenbosch is still unable to capitalise on home-ground advantage because their Danie Craven Stadium has been ruled unfit for international matches. As a result, they will play their African Confederation Cup group games away.
Sunday will be their first home game and will be played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Stellenbosch’s second home game is to be played at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria against Desportivo Lunda-Sul of Angola on Sunday, January 5 and their last home fixture in Group B is against Stade Malien at the Cape Town Stadium on January 12.
They had hoped to use the Cape Town Stadium sooner but were stymied by the Rugby Sevens at the venue early in December and then two Stormers matches in the United Rugby Championship later in December.
Stellenbosch is no stranger to a nomadic existence. This season they have used four different stadiums for home matches and in their first top-flight campaign in 2019 played all their home games in Cape Town because of the lack of a venue in Stellenbosch.
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