We can only hope Stellenbosch FC do not get sold

It was on a cold, early evening Highveld day in 2009 when Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker announced his arrival as a coach in SA football.

At that time his claim to fame was being the nephew of legendary former Bafana Bafana coach Clive Barker and a former defender at Wits University FC.

It was at dusk and a veil of darkness had just started to fall on Super Stadium (now Lucas Moripe) in Atteridgeville when Barker’s University of Pretoria side, who were campaigning in the National First Division, were playing the game of their lives against Kaizer Chiefs in the last-16 round of the Nedbank Cup.

Barker and his “kids” outfoxed, hoodwinked and outsmarted the mighty Amakhosi, knocking them out of the tournament.

I remember seasoned campaigner and then Chiefs captain Jimmy Tau being reduced to tears and weeping like a little girl as AmaTuks ran rampant, winning the match 4-3.

Barker and his amateurs went all the way and booked a place in the final against a Moroka Swallows team that was still competitive — not the sorry lot that masqueraded as the Dube Birds we witnessed last season.

In that final, AmaTuks almost turned Swallows into a fried chicken, but sadly, they narrowly lost 1-0 after a sucker punch goal from Vinicius Da Silva.

That AmaTuks team gave the PSL Andile Jali, Mthokozisi Yende, Aubrey Ngoma, Thokozane Sekotlong, Manti Moholo and Phenyo Mongala, who went on to become superstars in our football.

Last week, in the MTN8 Cup final in Durban, Barker and his rather unfancied young guns had the Orlando Pirates by the gonads.

But instead of squeezing hard, they started caressing and let the Buccaneers, who were desperate for some breathing space, off the hook.

Stellies were leading 1-0 and ended up losing the match 3-1 after a dubious refereeing decision.

It was uncouth for the Pirates to win against minnows in that manner.

There was no honour in that kind of victory, and Pirates, whom we are made to believe can dethrone Mamelodi Sundowns from the top of the mountain, were expected to brutally wallop those laaities — but they could not, without the helping hand of the dozy referees.

I take my hat off to Barker for his coaching acumen. Stellenbosch proved that football matches are not necessarily won by the number of supporters a club has in the grandstands.

Barker knows very well how to plot the downfall of the so-called big teams. He has been steadily building a side that is now a threat to the PSL big boys.

And mind you, with the big boss Johan Rupert’s bottomless pocket, Stellies can change the status quo in the PSL.

And with their fountain of talent, the Cape club were able to cash in nicely from reckless big spenders. They sold Ashley du Preez and Sibongiseni Mthethwa to the Chiefs.

They also retailed Deano van Rooyen to the Bucs and Iqraam Rayners to the Brazilians, augmenting their overflowing cash register.

They have also bought clever, not haphazardly, bringing the likes of Lehlohonolo Mojela, who tormented Bucs last week.

And with quality players like Ibraheem Jabaar, Jayden Adams, Devin Titus, Fawaaz Basadien, Sanele Barns, and Chumani Butsaka, they are still going to be rolling in big bucks.

We are hoping that Stellies does not become like Barker’s former team, Bidvest Wits, which after much promise closed shop as Bidvest Group sold the status, and just like that, the history of the oldest professional club in SA, established in 1920, was wiped out.

You just hope that Stellies is not one of Rupert’s vanity projects; that could just wake up and decide to sell. We pray that they are here to stay.

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