Stellenbosch sales the price of success

Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker has made no effort to hide his disappointment at the sale of key players over the years but is also quick to assert he understands the business of the game and why they must move on.

In their six seasons since winning promotion, Stellenbosch have forged a reputation for producing top home-grown talent as well as nurturing players from elsewhere and the club has made as pot-full of money selling their top recruits.

Jayden Adams to Mamelodi Sundowns, Ashley du Preez to Kaizer Chiefs and Dean van Rooyen were all from the club’s youth academy and came through their DStv Diski Challenge side while the likes of Fawaaz Basadien, Zitha Kwinika, Olwethu Makhanya, Junior Mendieta, Sibongiseni Mthethwa, Sihle Nduli, Iqraam Rayners and Ismael Toure have gone onto to bigger clubs after their time passing through Stellenbosch.

Barker says the club cannot stand in the way of players earning better salaries and opportunities elsewhere although does muse about how much better his side might have been had they not sold as much talent.

“The better you become as a football club, winning cups and reaching finals, the stock of the players is a lot higher, far more valuable.”

“One of our philosophies is that we have to serve the players to reach their full potential. So, you know, everybody serves the club to the best of their ability, it's about every day making sure when you get to work, you're giving your best. That's all we ask of the players every day at training to give their best and every time they play to give the best, so we expect that also the staff members, but I think having a vision and having a clear strategic plan allows everybody within in the organisation to flourish and to grow with the club.

“But again, it's always about the next game. You are only as good as your last game, so you got to just keep at it and keep performing and keep giving your best and I think the rest takes care of itself,” Barker adds.

“If players leave the club will continue to have its values and play the way that we believe will continue to make us successful. So although we do lose players, those coming in just seamlessly fit in.”

Considering all the departures, the Stellenbosch coach says he proud of their achievements as they head to Bloemfontein on Sunday to take on Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout quarterfinal.

“Hopefully we can manage on Wednesday to get ourselves into another semifinal, which I think again would be a remarkable achievement, considering how many semifinals we've been getting into in the last couple of years.”

Barker says the hectic schedule of games, which is as a result of doing well in domestic cup competition and also competing in the African Confederation Cup is draining but that is another price of success.

“Players are professionals that get paid for their profession, so I've always said it and I keep saying it, that we must not want to be playing in Africa and then complain about playing in Africa. We can still have a really special season. We've made a cup final already, and now the (Confederation Cup) group stages. We're in a quarterfinal of the Carling Knockout. So the motivation is just, never get hungry of succeeding, never get not hungry for success. We just got to have that desire to keep winning things, to keep competing at the highest level.”

Since winning promotion in 2019, Stellenbosch have won the Carling Knockout two years ago and bene to two MTN8 finals, losing both last year and this season to Orlando Pirates.

Last season, in their debut in continental club competition, they reached the Confederation Cup semifinal.