Stellenbosch FC mentor Steve Barker has revealed what he told his left-back, Omega Mdaka, who committed a penalty against his former side, Kaizer Chiefs, during the sold-out Betway Premiership affair at the Athlone Stadium on Sunday evening.
The 21-year-old Mdaka gave away a penalty in stoppage time of the second half against Amakhosi when he brought down Ashley Du Preez in the box. Godly Lilepo converted the penalty.
Visibly distraught, Mdaka sank to the ground after the final whistle, overcome with regret for the penalty that cemented the 2-0 loss at home.
The defeat was particularly difficult as the first goal for the Soweto giants came from a stunning free kick by Nkosingiphile Ngcobo. This match also marked a reunion of sorts for Mdaka, who had left the Glamour Boys’ DStv Diski Challenge team in October 2023 following a dispute where the players refused to act as ball retrievers during a Carling Knockout Cup game against AmaZulu FC.
WHAT STEVE BARKER SAID ABOUT OMEGA MDAKA AFTER COMMITTING A PENALTY
Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker praised Mdaka’s performance, even naming him one of his men of the match despite the costly penalty.
“Well, obviously, I feel sorry for Omega. I thought he had a strong performance. You know, at the end of the game, whatever it was, he faced Ashley Du Preez, who is a tricky, quick, and fast player, and committed a penalty. But it’s not going to take away from his performance,” said Barker.
“I already told him in the changing room that, for me, he was one of our men of the match. So, I’m not a coach who is going to hold individual errors against players.
”We all make mistakes, and I can’t take away from Omega’s overall performance. Obviously, what we need to do is learn a little bit from such situations and maybe not necessarily give a penalty in that circumstance with Du Preez on the line, where he won’t be able to score.
“But Omega is young and learning, and he is growing fast, so this will be another lesson learned for him, and I’m sure he will bounce back stronger.”
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