Securing qualification for next season’s CAF Confederation Cup is the primary objective for Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker ahead of the club’s Cape Derby clash against Cape Town City on Saturday.

Stellenbosch FC will round out their 2024-25 Betway Premiership campaign on Saturday afternoon when the club makes the short trip down the highway to DHL Stadium in Cape Town to take on local rivals Cape Town City.

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The highly anticipated derby encounter carries massive ramifications at both ends of the table as Stellies look to end third in the league with a win, thereby qualifying for the CAF Confederation Cup, while the 15th-placed Citizens are hoping to avoid falling into the relegation play-offs.

“When the fixture list came out right at the start of the season, I already anticipated that it would be a great way to end the campaign with a massive derby between the two clubs,” Stellies head coach Steve Barker said ahead of the match.

“As the season has panned out, it’s turned into a very key game for both clubs for very different reasons. They are fighting for their lives, which doesn’t make the game any easier; in fact, I believe it makes it more difficult because their fight for survival makes it tricky for us.

“That said, it’s important that we focus on what we need to achieve and keep our commitment levels as high as possible until the last kick of the ball. We’ve prepared well, we’re really focused, we want to win derbies, and of course, finish in the third position to qualify for CAF again.

“We’ve laid a great foundation throughout the season and put ourselves in a great position to achieve that, so it’s important for us to make sure we apply ourselves one more time and put in every effort to ensure we secure that goal.”

 

Stellenbosch recorded a comprehensive 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture back in September, during a match in which the club’s newly-crowned Footballer of the Season, Fawaaz Basadien,  scored a Goal of the Season contender from inside his own half.

Read | Basadien honoured to win SFC Footballer of the Season & Players’ Player of the Season awards

The team from the Cape Winelands are unbeaten in their last eight league encounters against City, having last suffered defeat in the derby back in December 2020.

Saturday’s match between the two sides is scheduled to kick off at 15h00 at DHL Stadium. Tickets for the clash are available at Spar and TicketPro outlets from R60.00 per person.