Stellenbosch FC vow to keep their key players ahead of demanding season

In a virtual interview with the South African Football Journalists Association (SAFJA) members, Benadie reflected on their off-season transfer activity, signing some of last season's top performers.

These include Sanele Barns from Richards Bay FC and Bradley Mojela from TS Galaxy. Benadie says the plan is to keep the core of their 26-man squad.

"We have strengthened our squad; I think the signings of Sanele Barns and Bradley Mojela are quite key. From an attacking point of view, our attacking midfield is our strike force and so on, we've got enough there now. We are definitely not in the market looking for anybody there,” Benadie said.

“We think we're very dangerous going forward in those front players and as I say at this stage as we're sitting here now, no one else is leaving. It probably won't stay that way but no one else is leaving."

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In the past two seasons, Stellies have sold some of their key players, such as Ashley du Preez, Olwethu Makhanya, Junior Mendieta, and Sibongiseni Mthethwa, to Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, and the Major League Soccer (MLS), respectively.

But Benadie reiterates that they are not a selling club but are constantly forced by circumstances.

"It's a constant struggle or challenge, not just for us but I think for many teams so I don't want to call us a selling club or a buying club, I know we're not a playing club but we have bought one or two players recently and the reason why we could do that is because we sold some players,” he added.

“It's part of the game of football worldwide, selling of players. We wanna try and keep our whole squad. So, we are on 26 players at the moment and if you ask me now, who we're gonna sell, I would like to sell nobody, absolutely nobody and keep this squad as it is today.

“Is it gonna happen? Probably not, so we've always got our plan b and c and our targets lined up and so forth. We know that we will continue to sell players because we do focus a lot on youngsters and the development to the Diski programme as you've seen."

Stellies key players like the Bafana Bafana duo of Jayden Adams and Iqraam Rayners, Fawaaz Basadien, Antonio Van Wyk, and exciting Ivorian international winger Anicet Oura are still subjects of interest from various teams.