The CAF Confederations Cup has reached its penultimate stage of what has been a jam-packed and exciting season that has seen South African teams and coaches flourish in the continental interclub competitions.
Stellenbosch FC will confront Simba SC in their Confederations Cup semifinal first leg clash at the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar, Tanzania, this afternoon.
The much-anticipated tie will see two South African coaches, Steve Barker and Fadlu Davids, battle it out for a berth in the Confed Cup final over two legs.
This season will go down in the history books of South African football, as there are three Premier Soccer League (PSL) teams in the semis of the CAF interclub competition, and two SA coaches facing each other in such a competition.
Stellies, who are still enjoying a fairytale run in their maiden season in continental football, advanced to the last four of the competition when they toppled defending champions Zamalek in the quarterfinals last week.
The team from the winelands spectacularly achieved that feat when it sent the Egyptian giants crumbling out of the competition in their backyard.
Barker’s colleague and feeder of young talent in the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC), Evangelos Vellios, heaped his praises and said he is finally getting acknowledged in SA football.
“I am so proud of what coach Steve has achieved and that he is getting his flowers now and the recognition that he deserves. I think for the longest time, he was seen as a coach who gives young players an opportunity, which he continues to do.
“But we people forgot that he is also a winning coach. He won a league title with AmaTuks and Stellenbosch to promote them to the Premiership and recently won the Carling Knockout.
“He competed in the MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates and is now a semifinalist of the CAF Confederations Cup. So, he deserves every good thing that is coming his way, and we wish him all the best for the rest of the season.”
Barker will be going up against a coach he knows very well, having competed against each other in the PSL previously.
“It’s very nice to come up against Fadlu. I played against him as a coach when he was coaching at Maritzburg United,” Barker said.
“So, it is nice that there will be a South African coach in the final. I’m looking forward to that. We know Darian[Wilken], the assistant, very well. He is a good friend of my assistant, Wesley [Sergel]. So, it would be nice to see them.”
