Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has shared some lessons he learned from his first domestic cup final in 2009 ahead of this week’s Carling Knockout final.
Stellenbosch will take on TS Galaxy at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday afternoon.
It is the first domestic cup final for Stellies while Galaxy will be gunning for their second trophy after that historic win against Kaizer Chiefs in the 2019 Nedbank Cup.
But for coach Barker, the Final brings memories of a 2009 Nedbank Cup final when he was head coach at the University of Pretoria. They beat the likes of Kaizer Chiefs, Bloemfontein Celtic, and Ajax Cape Town to advance to the Finals.
But they unfortunately lost 1-0 to Moroka Swallows at Rand Stadium in Johannesburg. AmaTuks were playing in the national first division [Motsepe Foundation Championship] at the time.
14 years later, Barker is back in another final, this time in a Carling Knockout with a Stellies side which only gained promotion to the premier division four seasons ago.
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“These are two different occasions. As you said [in 2009] we had nothing to lose going into the final against Swallows,” he said.
“We were the underdogs and a First Division team that created a different hype. In life, you have setbacks and disappointments which I had that day so you have to learn and take those experiences and add them.”
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“So I think in terms of that experience plus obviously coaching many years. There are players that have not been in a final before so it’s just managing their feelings towards the game and just making sure that we have a calm but focused week. So there Is an inner focus and inner desire to win a trophy but it is about managing it, preparing the team well, using my experience of past experiences,” he said.
“Hopefully, I have learnt some lessons, and used experience but ultimately it goes just about sometimes a raw passion of going into the field and making sure you walk off having won the game.”
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