QUESTIONS were swirling after the visiting Lamontville Golden Arrows surprisingly defeated Stellenbosch FC 2-0 in their Betway Premiership clash at Athlone Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Given Stellenbosch’s red-hot form in their opening six matches this season, the Winelands team were favoured to open their Premiership season on a winning note.
Did the sale of star players come back to haunt them? Are the recent recruits good enough? Has the pressure of six matches in consecutive weeks taken its toll?
When the team flew out to Kinshasa, DR Congo, yesterday morning, Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker put those worries to bed.
He said: “It doesn’t help to dwell on this loss. We must focus on that game on Sunday (tomorrow).
“We are still positive. We’ve played seven games and won six, and we have a big game ahead on Sunday (tomorrow) away to AS Vita.”
Last week, Stellenbosch defeated AS Vita in their first-leg clash of the second preliminary round of the Confederation Cup in Cape Town.
It seemed the visiting Congolese were disorientated after they arrived from Kinshasa a few hours before kick-off. The match hardly started and the Congolese were two goals down after only 12 minutes of play.
After the match, AS Vita coach Abdeslam Ouaddou dropped a bombshell in the press conference and resigned with immediate effect. The former Moroccan national team player said he was fed up with the poor travelling arrangements after his team arrived in Cape Town a few hours before kick-off after a 4 000km trip.
AS Vita accepted his resignation and tomorrow he will not be in the dugout at the famous 80 000-seat Stade des Martyrs, one of Africa’s biggest stadiums.
Stellenbosch may be armed with a first-leg 2-0 advantage, but the Kinshasa fans will create a hostile atmosphere and turn the stadium into a cauldron.
It may prove too intimidating for Stellenbosch, who are participating in continental club football for the first time.
The Congolese club, nicknamed the Black Dolphins, are former CAF Champions League title holders and Confederation Cup finalists.
As a result of visa problems, the Black Dolphins were without five regulars in Cape Town last week. Tomorrow evening, the Congolese are likely to be at full strength with a new coach at the helm.
A feature of last week’s game was that AS Vita failed to make a shot at goal and that shows how effective the Stellenbosch rearguard was.
Despite AS Vita’s pedigree, Stellenbosch may have an advantage because the DRC’s domestic season is yet to start.
AS Vita had a bye in the first preliminary round and last week’s Cape Town fixture was the only time their players enjoyed game time this season.
Meanwhile, Stellenbosch fans will be pleased to know that the club has rejected two late offers from Mamelodi Sundowns for their star midfielder Jayden Adams, who is in the travelling party for tomorrow’s game.
Sundowns were dead keen on Adams, who made 109 appearances and scored six goals for Stellenbosch. His fine form earned him a surprise selection in Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana squad that finished third at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Meanwhile, Sekhukhune United, who suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against Angola’s Lunda Sul FC last week, will be looking to make amends this evening.
The fixture will be the second leg of the Confederation Cup second preliminary round and will be played at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.