Stellenbosch is aiming to return to winning ways after they were held to a goalless draw by Equatorial Guinean side, 15 de Agosto de Akonibe, in the second qualifying round of the CAF Confederations Cup on Saturday.
Steve Barker’s side have shifted their attention to domestic competition, as they are set to host Lamontville Golden Arrows at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Wednesday[19:30], as they return to Betway Premiership action.
Barker’s troops are currently on a four-match unbeaten run across all competitions, after a tumultuous start to the 2025/26 season. They are lying second from the bottom with six points after nine matches.
“It has been a tough start to the season, but I believe there are definite signs that we are on an upward curve,” Barker said.
Stellies also go into the Arrows clash with four consecutive clean sheets in all competitions.
“We have not been conceding many goals of late, but we need to score more than we have been, so a lot of hard work has been going into that to rectify that,” added Barker.
The 15th-place side has found goals hard to come by this campaign, as they have only scored three goals in nine matches in the league thus far.
“We’ve got to remain positive and ensure that we get a positive result against Golden Arrows to help turn things around, and preparations have been going well to that end,” added the 57-year-old.
Stellies’ current position is a far cry from what they achieved last season, with Barker and his charges looking to mend the situation.
“We’ve obviously just got back from a long trip to Equatorial Guinea, but the players are upbeat, determined, and committed to getting a good result against Arrows, who we’ve enjoyed good results against in the last couple of years,” added the former AmaZulu coach.
Barker’s side has five wins and five draws in their last 12 matches against Arrows, including an emphatic 3-0 victory over Manqoba Mngqithi’s men in their last meeting.
However, the longest-serving coach currently isn’t taking anything for granted, as he highlighted Abafana Bes’thende’s recent form.
“This is a new game and a new challenge, though. They’ve made a decent start to the season, and they’ve got some good players in their team, so like any Premiership match, this won’t be easy,” said Barker.
Arrows are currently aiming to extend their three-game winning streak as they travel to the Athlone Stadium.
“We’ve got to put all our preparation into effect and deliver with the necessary intensity and commitment to ensure we give ourselves the best chance,” concluded the Stellenbosch boss.
With the Stellies unbeaten in their last four games and looking to climb up the log standings, their clash with the high-flying Arrows promises to be a mouth-watering spectacle.
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