Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker says youngster Oshwin Andries, who passed away last weekend, would have wanted his teammates back in action and winning when they compete in the Nedbank Cup on Saturday.

Stellies will now play host to Swallows FC when the two teams meet at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town one week after Andries’ sudden passing, seven days after being involved in a stabbing incident.

Barker paid a fulsome tribute to the 19-year-old defender this week as he looked ahead to the Nedbank Cup first round tie, which he said would be an emotive experience for all his players.

“We’ve had people helping the players deal with their feelings and making them aware they everybody goes through different ways that you deal with tragedy, getting the players to know that whatever they feeling is fine and they mustn’t feel guilty about it.

“But it’s also about getting back on the field, getting back to our daily work and knowing that Oshwin would have wanted us to continue playing and have the joy for the game and get smiles back on our faces. And to do what we love doing,” Barker added.

“As a club we’ve support for everybody at the club who may need it. There’s obviously one or two players that it’s affected deeply, especially those from his neighbourhood and who grew up with him in Stellenbosch. It is for us to make sure that we support them.”

But all the club, he predicted, would feel the emotion when they take to the pitch on Saturday.

“It will be tough emotionally obviously on Saturday. It’s still close to home. There’s obviously a minute’s silence and maybe a tribute or two in his honour at the game so emotions will be high. But it’s important that we just understand that we need to have emotion. It’s about how we manage it, how we use it to galvanise the team, to bring us even closer together, continue to fight for each other. It’s been a very tough season emotionally for the club with a lot of difficult things.”

Captain Dean van Rooyen, who was Andries’ cousin, lost both his parents in a short space of time while back-up goalkeeper Keegan Pool has been battling cancer.

Despite the tragedy, and its impact, Barker said he was hoping for a good cup run. Stellenbosch have lost in the Nedbank Cup first round for the last three years.

“I think if you get past the first hurdle and into last 16 and then one more game and into the last eight, then I do think the mood will pick up.

“For the players the fact they may have a chance of getting to a final that galvanise us and push us forward. We believe we, at some stage, have to have a good cup run and you know be reaching the semi-final or the final. So I’m hoping that this will be the season,” the coach added