Their strong model that has won praise, plus a healthy dose of adversity that brought the best out of the team, are the secrets to Stellenbosch FC's potent recipe for success, having reached a second cup final in 10 months, says the chef of it all, coach Steve Barker.
The nephew of late Bafana Bafana legend Clive, Barker once told me if he achieved a fraction of what The Dog did in a career across five decades of coaching, he would be happy. It is a characteristically unassuming comment from the quiet and humble but deceptively hungry, shrewd and deliberate coach who once schemed the march of the first division Pretoria University FC of Andile Jali and Mthokozisi Yende to the 2009 Nedbank Cup final.
Barker had a good niche at Tuks, where their high-performance centre (HPC) and an academy structure he helped set up matched the coach's eye for talent and youth, and ability to structure a team with parts simplicity, parts intensity in game plan to punch above their weight. Tuks were promoted to the Premiership in 2012 and stayed three seasons, Barker coaching the first two of those.
If the issue at Tuks was scarce funding within a university environment at Stellenbosch that is far less so. He has the best of both worlds at the Maroons, who have Johann Rupert's billions behind them, though within a strictly confined budget Stellies in no way buy success, but enjoy financial solidity along with the base of Stellenbosch University and its HPC and facilities to flourish in.
Stellies scout excellently for farfrombig-name, but certainly strong signings. Players brought in since their promotion in 2019 such as Junior Mendieta, Nathan Sinkala, Ibraheem Jabar and Ashley de Jongh, plus promoted talent including Ashley du Preez, Devin Titus, Jayden Adams and Deano van Rooyen helped them to Premiership finishes of 10th, 14th, fourth, sixth and third.
