Stellenbosch gunning for maximum points in CAF clash against CD Lunda Sul

The Winelands team faces Angola’s CD Lunda Sul in the fourth match of the group stages of the competition.

Stellies registered their first win in the campaign with a 1-0 victory away to the same Lunda Sul, and they will be hoping to continue where they left off.

"We are obviously looking forward to the match. The key game was the previous one away from home where we had to win the game just to keep ourselves alive in the competition and tomorrow [Sunday evening] is the same situation, we have to win the game if we harbour any thoughts of making it through to the knockout stages,” Barker said.

“So, we've prepared really well, players are really hungry for success. They are hungry to advance to the knockout stages of this tournament, it's a big match for us both as a football club and as a team.

“It's important that although we did get the win away from home, especially in the first half, the opposition didn't make the game easy we sort of dominated the second half and we were fortunate to get the goal that we deserved.

“So, it's important that at home we don't underestimate the opposition. They've got good qualities, we saw that when we played them but the important part is for us to impose ourselves on the match.

“It's important for us to play to our strengths, it's important for us to take advantage and be on the front foot. [To] play with aggression and show the desire and the will and the commitment to get maximum points, any other result will not be good enough for us."

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The Western Cape outfit has a juggling act to perform over the next seven days.

Two CAF competition matches are sandwiched by a tough Betway Premiership clash against Kaizer Chiefs on Wednesday. Barker says playing almost back-to-back CAF games helps a lot, but they will need to be focused.

"I think it helps us as a team we've done it at the beginning against Nsingizini Hotspurs where we played back to back in Durban and I think that gave us a feel of what it's like to play the same team twice in a week,” the coach added.

“Again, now, I think playing tomorrow [Sunday evening] here will give us that feel of the stadium and that going into the next game on Sunday which I think will be an advantage for us. So, yeah, I do believe that it helps but because we've got a league match in between it's important for us to focus just one game at a time."