Stellenbosch head coach Steve Barker admits that home form will be crucial to their CAF Confederation Cup prospects as they prepare to host AS Otoho at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on 23 November.
Kick-off is at 3pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)
CURRENT FORM:
The Maroons have been forced to use alternative venues for their home games on the continent again this season as neither the Danie Craven Stadium nor Athlone Stadium meet CAF requirements.
Barker's side lost just one of their five 'home' matches in Africa's second-tier club competition last term as they went on to reach the semifinals.
Stellies have struggled for goals this term, failing to find the back of the net in their last three league and cup outings, while shipping eight in the process.
But the Cape Winelands outfit briefly rediscovered their scoring boots after beating 15 de Agosto 4-1 in the second qualifying round second leg which followed on from their thrilling 4-3 victory over Golden Arrows four days earlier.
AS Otoho only conceded one goal in the qualifying rounds, beating Primeiro de Agosto 2-1 on aggregate before winning both home (2-0) and away (1-0) against Ferroviario de Maputo.
The Congolese outfit are making their third appearance in the CAF Confederation Cup, having qualified for the group stages both times in 2018-19 and 2021-22, but went no further.
WHAT WAS SAID:
Stellenbosch head coach Steve Barker
"We will be looking to get off to a good start by winning our home matches, because I think that is key in this competition. There is a lot of enthusiasm.
"It's a continental competition, and we had a really good run last season, and we are looking to be successful again on the continent. Everyone is raring to go, and we are looking forward to hosting our opposition, AS Otoho."
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Stellenbosch - Langelihle Phili is the club's top scorer this season, but all of his five goals have come in domestic competitions (four in the league and one in the MTN 8). The 20-year-old winger has been mainly used as a substitute, although his impact has been noticeable and Barker could be tempted to throw him in from the start against AS Otoho.