Stellies advance to Confed Cup quarter-finals in historic debut campaign
Stellenbosch FC has achieved a famous milestone by qualifying for the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup in their maiden campaign in the prestigious continental competition.
The team from the Cape Winelands secured their place in the knockout stages with a game to spare following an impressive 2-0 victory over Malian side Stade Malien at Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday.
Goals from Fawaaz Basadien and Stellenbosch-born Jayden Adams secured the vital three points, propelling Stellies into the history books as one of the few teams to qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-finals in their debut season.
After a challenging start to their Group B campaign, which saw the team lose their first two matches, Stellenbosch staged a remarkable turnaround by winning each of their next three fixtures to progress alongside two-time champions RS Berkane.
Head coach Steve Barker praised his players for their resilience and focus to bounce back: “I am extremely proud and excited about what lies ahead in the knockout stages of the competition.
“We didn’t start in the best fashion with the two early losses, but the team has shown great character and belief in each other to get three wins on the bounce. That’s also credit to the effort they have been putting in and I’m glad they could reward themselves with qualification.
Stellenbosch will now shift focus to their final group match against RS Berkane in Morocco this weekend before returning to domestic league action later this month.