Steve Barker issues firm warning to Egyptian giants Zamalek
With anticipation building for the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinal second leg in Egypt, Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker has issued a firm warning to Zamalek.
The two sides will face each other on Wednesday, 9 April, at the Cairo International Stadium. Kick-off is set for 18:00 [SA time].
In the first leg, Stellenbosch and the defending champions, Zamalek, settled for a 0-0 draw in South Africa this past Wednesday at the Cape Town Stadium.
This is the first time that Stellies are competing in the CAF inter-club competition and have managed to reach the quarterfinals stage of the Confederation Cup.
In addition, the Cape Winelands-based outfit is the only South African side still competing in the Confederation Cup, as Sekhukhune United were knocked out in the preliminary rounds.
STEVE BARKER’S WARNING TO ZAMALEK
Barker cautioned Zamalek against underestimating his team, asserting that Stellenbosch will leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of victory in the second leg.
The 57-year-old coach stated that they would approach this clash with the intention of advancing to the tournament’s semifinals, despite the intimidating crowd they will be facing in Cairo.
“After looking at our performance in the first leg, they shouldn’t underestimate us. I have always said all along that teams can underestimate us at their own peril,” said the highly motivated Barker ahead of the Zamalek game.
“It just shows that our league is a competitive league locally. It is important for us not to become complacent. There are many areas we can improve on from the previous game because we know that if we want to get past them in the second leg, we have to play to our full potential and take the chances we get.
“We are going there to show the same level of performance that we showed at home. We know it is going to be difficult playing away from home. Especially when playing in an intimidating venue and crowd. But those are things we, as coaches, are always looking forward to playing in front of those conditions.”
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