Stellies defender Moloisane ready to steer team back on track

Stellenbosch FC defender Thabo Moloisane believes his side can recover from their challenging start to the season and return to the competitive form they displayed in recent campaigns.

The Winelands outfit will shift focus from continental competitions to the Betway Premiership, facing Orbit College on Wednesday (7:30pm kick-off) at the Olympia Park Stadium. This match, their penultimate fixture of the calendar year, provides Stellies with an opportunity to regain ground and build momentum ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations break.

Currently second from bottom in the league standings, Stellenbosch have struggled for consistency, particularly in the Betway Premiership. Their 1-0 win over Congo-Brazzaville side AS Otoho in the CAF Confederations Cup opener offered a much-needed boost, showing signs that the team can steer in a positive direction despite recent struggles.

Steve Barker’s side has managed just one win in their last seven matches, while the losses have accumulated, underlining the need for improvement.

Over the weekend, Moloisane reached a significant milestone, playing his 100th game for the club—  a personal achievement he celebrated with a crucial victory, hoping it can lift the team and give them the momentum they need.

“I am very proud of what I have achieved with the team and happy to have got it with a win and a clean sheet, which shows the right building blocks after the Fifa break,” Moloisane said.

The 26-year-old highlighted that defensive lapses have been a key problem this season. With Stellies conceding 15 goals in 12 league matches, Moloisane insists the team must tighten up at the back to regain stability and replicate their prior successes.

As one of the club’s most experienced defenders, he is confident that Stellies can turn their form around, with senior players providing guidance to the younger members of the squad.

“This season, we just need to keep as many clean sheets as possible. We have been conceding quite a lot. For now, it’s a matter of getting the team where it’s supposed to be and getting us back to where Stellenbosch used to be,” he said.

“There are difficult moments that I have experienced, so some of us — me, Sage (Stephens), Thato (Khiba), and the senior guys — must just let the team know that we are good enough. 

“But it’s just a matter of having a bad patch of matches, and I am certain that we will be back running the way we are supposed to be.”

Moloisane added that the experience gained from the continental competition will prove invaluable as they navigate a difficult league campaign.

“Playing in different stadiums and countries, the experience gained is very important. The team is not panicking, and it shows with the experience we have gained from Caf that this is a patch we had to go through to grow closer as a team. 

“Now it’s about putting it into the Betway Premiership and making sure that we show what we are capable of.”

Stellies will be on the hunt for their first win since they last beat Golden Arrows in a 4-3 thriller last month. With another fixture to come against Polokwane City before the year ends, they could be facing a tense finish to 2025.