Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has credited and praised his players following their performance against Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals of the MTN8.

The Maroons advanced to the final of the top-eight competition after they secured a 2-0 aggregate victory over Sundowns in the two-legged fixture.

Stellies are now set to do battle against Orlando Pirates when the two sides meet in the final on October 5, although the venue are yet to be determined.

The Cape Winelands side will now turn their focus to the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round second leg to be played at the Stade des Martyrs on September 20.

“…I think over the two legs, we deserve to be in the final,” Barker said. “The players must take a lot of credit for their commitment, their never-say-die attitude, the humility within the team, and the willingness to work off the ball and out of possession.

“We are in another final and I must really congratulate the players, mostly, and to the club. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to play in Stellenbosch or Cape Town in front of our home fans, so this is for those who weren’t able to be here. Hopefully, we will be able to get the numbers to the final from our home support.”

“Sunday’s victory over Masandawana saw the club extend its winning streak to five matches across all competitions since the start of the 2024/25 campaign, with the team having previously also recorded wins over eSwatini’s Nsigizinig Hotspurs and TS Galaxy.

“I think if you reflect on the start we’ve had, it’s been five matches and five wins in a row with four clean sheets.”

He added: “A massive encounter against AS Vita [in the CAF Confederation Cup] awaits us next in two weeks’ time, but we’ve had a really good and strong start to the season.

“We played TS Galaxy, who weren’t at their best due to their transfer ban, at home and needed to get a good result, which we did, and then sort of eased into the CAF competition with the opposition we had [in the form of Hotspurs], and got the job done.

“To then go back-to-back against a team like Sundowns and not concede in 180 minutes of football is a credit to the players. Their commitment is of a really high level and this is the reward they will get if they continue to work hard and stay humble.”