Barker to use Afcon break to 'regenerate' Stellies

Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker values the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) induced break after playing seven of their nine games between November and December away from home.

Afcon starts in Ivory Coast on Saturday and concludes on February 11. Stellies resume action by hosting AmaZulu in the league on February 13. Stellenbosch’s congested fixture programme stretched to the new year as well, facing PSL All Star in the Carling Cup at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, where they lost 2-1.

“We knew from the beginning of the season that during Afcon there would be a break, so we planned all our sort of periodisation that we almost look at this one season as two seasons,” Barker said after the Carling Cup defeat to All Star.

“The second half of the season will be like a new season... there’s a lot to play for in the second half of the season. The Afcon will be a good rest for the players because we had a busy couple of months, so our players deserve a good break... they will have a good 10 to 12 days off and then we will come back to regroup and continue to work hard. It will be good for us to regenerate and be fresh.”

Stellies played the Carling Cup against All Star by virtue of winning the Carling Knockout. Losing to All Stars saw the Cape Winelands side’s 11-game unbeaten streak come to an end, having last lost a game when they were beaten 3-1 by Mamelodi Sundowns in the DStv Premiership back in September.

Bafana Bafana’s Jayden Adams will be the only Stellies player at the Afcon. Bafana are in Group E alongside neighbours Namibia, Mali and Tunisia. SA will get their Afcon campaign underway by taking on one of the best teams on paper, Mali, in Korhogo on Tuesday, 10pm SA time.

“We have a lot of ambitions as a football club... we want to be challenging at the top end of the table, so it’s important that we regroup and resume the season really strongly,” Barker said.