Stellies look to carry league form into TS Galaxy encounter after cup loss

Stellenbosch FC will look to continue their upward momentum in the Betway Premiership when they travel to Mbombela Stadium to take on TS Galaxy on Sunday afternoon (3.30pm kickoff).

Steve Barker’s side have shown encouraging signs in recent weeks, collecting five points from their last three league fixtures. That run included a thrilling 4-3 triumph over a resilient Golden Arrows outfit in their previous outing, which restored confidence after a mixed start to the season.

It has been a challenging campaign for the Cape Winelands outfit, who have had to dig deep to rediscover their rhythm after early exits from both the MTN8 and now the Carling Knockout competitions. 

Those setbacks have underlined the need for consistency as they try to re-establish the level of performance that made them one of the most competitive teams in the league last season and a growing presence in continental football.

Their remarkable CAF Confederation Cup run last season, which saw them reach the semi-finals, remains one of the club’s proudest achievements to date. Having already qualified for the group stages of this year’s tournament, Stellenbosch are intent on maintaining that upward trajectory, both domestically and on the continental stage.

However, their immediate focus will be on bouncing back from a heavy 4-0 defeat to Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout. The long trip to Mbombela provides an opportunity to reset and show resilience against a Galaxy side also looking to recover after two tough away defeats.

Barker has made it clear that his players need to finish this run of fixtures strongly before the upcoming international break, with two crucial games still to play.

“There is still a lot to play for. The fixture against TS Galaxy becomes a massive one for us before next week’s match against Siwelele FC, and then we have a break,” said Barker.

The latest setback came soon after Stellies were recognised for their impressive performances on the continent. The club’s progress and growth were acknowledged when they were nominated for CAF Club of the Year—a remarkable achievement for a relatively young side still carving out its place among Africa’s elite.

Barker said it was important for his team to stay true to the identity and philosophy that had brought them success over the past few years, despite the early-season inconsistencies.

“It will be about believing in what we do, believing in our processes, and in what has got us to this position as a football club. Being nominated for CAF Club of the Year shows that we are doing a lot of good things,” he added.

With Galaxy sitting just four points ahead in eighth place, Stellenbosch know that a win could lift them closer to the top half of the table and reignite their campaign. Barker believes that with a steady run of results, they can quickly climb up the standings and rediscover their best form.

Stellies have lost five of their ten league matches so far this season, but Barker remains optimistic about what lies ahead.

“We can’t let a couple of bad results make us think that we can’t achieve what we’ve set out to achieve this season.”