Stellenbosch FC will look to draw on past Cup success when the Club opens its 2025 Carling Knockout campaign against Kaizer Chiefs at DHL Stadium on Sunday.

Steve Barker’s troops will host Kaizer Chiefs at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Sunday afternoon when the two sides kick off their respective Carling Knockout campaigns.

“Cup competitions are always exciting, and the Carling Knockout is another opportunity for us to challenge for another trophy,” Barker said ahead of the match.

“It’s also nice to be playing at home first and against a team like Kaizer Chiefs. The mood is good and we have prepared well, with the boys showing a lot of energy and enthusiasm.”

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Stellenbosch FC are former champions of the Carling Knockout, having lifted the trophy in December 2023, and will look to draw motivation from that achievement as this year’s tournament commences.

“Firstly, when you reach a final and lose out like we did in the MTN8 final this year, you want to rectify those wrongs,” he added.

“We also recently lifted this trophy, and there are a lot of players in this squad who were part of that team, and that all drives us to do the best that we can. It’s a very big and important match for us, and everyone is really keen to make sure we advance to the next round.”

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Sunday’s encounter with the Amakhosi will be the second meeting against Kaizer Chiefs this season after the two sides previously clashed on the opening weekend of the Betway Premiership campaign, where Chiefs narrowly emerged victorious in Cape Town.

“In the first encounter, when we got the red card early in the game, it changed the whole complexion of the fixture,” Barker reflected.

“But Chiefs have shown this season that they have improved and that they are very competitive. They’ve got some really good individuals and a certain way that they are looking to play, so we are expecting nothing but a tough game.

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“It’s up to us to concentrate on what we can do and on what we’re good at. We’ve got to improve in certain areas, and we’ve been working hard on those in training, and hopefully, with it being a Cup game, we can take the opportunity to get into a quarter-final.”

The Carling Knockout Round of 16 fixture between Stellenbosch FC and Kaizer Chiefs is scheduled to kick off at 15h00 at DHL Stadium on Sunday, 5 October 2025. Tickets are available for R60 from OpenTickets, and the match will be broadcast live on SuperSport PSL 202.