Mamelodi Sundowns first team coach Steve Komphela has explained why Stellenbosch FC’s upturn in form is not a surprise.
Stellies have enjoyed a terrific run of form since they turned the tables, ending a nine-match winless run when they defeated Cape Town City in January.
Since then, they have won six of the seven games they have played across all competitions.
And now, the Western Cape side has been pitted against the Brazilians in the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals.
Komphela admitted that it was going to be a tough one. The two sides recently played a 1-1 draw in the DStv Premiership.
Reflecting on the upset, the 55-year-old coach says they knew what to expect from Steve Barker’s charges but it was still hard to contain them.
STEVE KOMPHELA ON STELLENBOSCH’S UPTURN IN FORM
“It was a tough one,” he told the journalists after the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals draw.
“We knew as we went there that it wasn’t gonna be easy after having looked at what they were capable of.
“And testimony to that is what happened yesterday [when Stellenbosch defeated TS Galaxy 6-3].
“And make no mistake, TS Galaxy are also a hell of a good team, defensively they are solid but getting six past their defence says a lot [about Stellenbosch’s attack].
“But we will go to Cape Town and unfortunately with us, our breath and responsibility has always been the same. We have to defend it.”
Former Kaizer Chiefs coach says the strength of Stellenbosch lies in the attack.
And he stated that they will travel to Cape Town with the respect that the opponents deserve.
‘IT’S NOT A SURPRISE’
“We had a small discussion with Stevey [Steve Barker] just before the match, the previous one,” he added.
“One of the questions or discussion line was their upfront. Their movement on top is quite fascinating.
“And what happened yesterday is not a surprise to us because it is clear what they do. And based on that even when we went to Cape Town we were aware of that, we still suffered a setback.
“So, we’ll have to go there knowing exactly that they keep doing this and they do it so well. So we have to respect it.”
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