Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has voiced his concerns regarding the toll that extensive travel has taken on his squad during the first part of their 2024/2025 campaign.
Following a narrow 1-0 defeat to league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns at the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday night, Barker pointed to travel fatigue as one of the key factors hindering their performance.
Since the MTN8 quarter-finals, Stellenbosch have had to adjust, playing all their official games away from their home ground, Danie Craven Stadium.
The pitch’s condition has been deemed unsuitable for hosting matches by the league, prompting the team to make the lengthy journey to either Durban or Cape Town for their fixtures.
Wednesday’s match against Sundowns came just three days after Stellenbosch’s return from Angola, where they faced Lunda Sol in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Barker noted that this rigorous schedule had affected his players’ performance, particularly highlighting their struggles in the first half against the Brazilians.
“It was a game of two halves. We didn’t play as we should in the first half – just one or two execution issues, a bit of decision-making, and a couple of errors,” said Barker.
He reflected on the challenges his team faced due to fatigue, mentioning that “a couple of fresh legs had an impact on the game” after their limited recovery time following the trip to Angola.
Barker elaborated on the frustrations of their travelling schedule, noting: “Obviously it’s not easy. It’s our first campaign at CAF. We arrived on Monday from Angola, and it becomes very frustrating to play these amounts of games.
“People will say it is in Cape Town, but we have to travel two to three hours to reach our home base, which takes away from our preparation.”
The match held deeper sentiments for Barker, particularly with former player Iqraam Rayners scoring the decisive goal for Sundowns.
Rayners found himself at Stellenbosch after a challenging stint at SuperSport United, where he struggled for game-time, managing just five goals in 58 appearances.
He returned to Stellenbosch midway through the 2022/2023 season and flourished, scoring an impressive 15 goals in 14 matches, which earned him a call-up to the Bafana Bafana squad and subsequently a move to Sundowns.
A long-awaited debut for Kazie 👏🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/uuHi8aTHyJ
The 29-year-old made his first appearance against his former club on Wednesday, one that paid off significantly as he netted the only goal of the match and leaving a “bitter taste” for Barker, who had played a fundamental role in revitalising Rayners’ career.
“We knew a player like Iqi is clever with his movement behind. We conceded, and arguably they could’ve had a second before halftime,” remarked Barker, who felt the loss resonated personally, given his history with the player.
As the season progresses, Barker and his team will need to find solutions to balance their travel challenges, while striving to achieve their goals in both domestic and continental competitions. | Independent Media Sport