Devin Titus wants Stellenbosch FC to own their status as champions when they begin their Carling Knockout title defence against AmaZulu on Friday evening.

Stellenbosch FC are reigning champions in the Carling Knockout after the team from the Cape Winelands claimed a dramatic 1-1 (5-4 penalty) shootout victory over TS Galaxy in the inaugural edition of the revamped tournament last year.

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The Maroons will look to defend their title this season and begin their campaign with an away trip to Durban after being pitted against AmaZulu in the Round of 16.

“As defending champions we have a target on our back and every team will be coming out full throttle against us, so we just have to do what we do best and hopefully we can reclaim our title at the end of the tournament,” Titus said.

“Being first-time champions was incredibly special, but now we have a responsibility as champions to own that status. It’s not enough to just show up, we have to be at our best in all four games.”

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Titus played an integral role in Stellies’ cup triumph last season, scoring in both the quarter-final and semi-final stages of the competition, and was later recognized as the Player of the Tournament for his efforts.

“It was a tournament where I just hit the mark, but a lot of it was down to my teammates and the technical staff who believed in me,” he added.

“I’ve always said that if they give me the ball I will score, and if I can’t score I will find the pass to help someone else score, so me winning Player of the Tournament last season was a collective effort.”

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The Carling Knockout Round of 16 encounter between AmaZulu and Stellenbosch FC is scheduled to kick off at 19h00 on Friday, 18 October. The match will be televised live on SuperSport PSL 202.