Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker: Cape Town City will be fighting for their lives in the derby
The stakes in the Western Cape derby between Cape Town City and Stellenbosch FC never have been higher than it will be at the DHL Stadium on Saturday. Picture: BackpagePix
Image: Picture: BackpagePix
It was only two seasons that Cape Town City were the toast of the town.
They had finished runners-up to champions Mamelodi Sundowns and were heading into Africa to dine with the elite of the continent in the CAF Champions League for the first time.
It was the realisation of a dream its charismatic owner John Comitis had when he resurrected the once iconic Cape Town football club back in 2016.
Those heady days are though a distant memory with City's entire future hanging on the edge of a cliff heading into the final game of the 2024/25 season against high-flying neighbours Stellenbosch FC at DHL Stadium on Saturday (3pm kickoff).
City are effectively in last place, with only the insolvent Royal AM below them, on the Betway Premiership ladder with a defeat to Stellies condemning the Citizens to the lottery of the relegation playoffs.
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Even a win over Stellenbosch could still see City contest the playoffs should SuperSport United, who are level on 26 points but with a superior goal difference, beat Richards Bay and Golden Arrows emerge victorious against former City coach Eric Tinkler's Sekhukhune United.
The stakes in the Western Cape derby are therefore so much more than just bragging rights this time around with the City's PSL status on the line.
Meanwhile, in the maroon corner, Stellenbosch are in dreamland after finishing runners-up in the MTN8 competition and enjoying a maiden CAF Confederation Cup run all the way to the semi-finals, which included a victory over Egyptian giants Zamalek in the quarter-finals in Cairo.
Crucially, Stellies have not allowed their Betway Premiership form to falter and currently occupy third position.
However, Steve Barker's men need to claim all three points if they are to be ensured of an African adventure again next season due to Sekhukhune United breathing down their necks just a point behind in fourth place.
A limited number of 𝑭𝑹𝑬𝑬 Cape Derby tickets are still available exclusively at the selected FNB branches below:
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If you haven't secured yours yet, now's your chance. Tickets… pic.twitter.com/puVOt2IJJh — Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC) May 21, 2025
'Yes, when the fixture list came out right at the beginning of the season, seeing that we're playing City on the last day of the season, I always anticipated it would be a great way to end the season, a massive derby between the two clubs,' Barker said.
'Obviously, as it has panned out over the season, it's a very, very key game for both clubs, obviously for different reasons. Obviously, I think they're fighting for their lives and therefore it doesn't make the game at all any easier.
'In fact, I believe it makes it difficult because obviously they'll be fighting for survival and it does become tricky. But it's important that we also focus on what we need to achieve and keep our commitment as high as it can be until the last kick of the ball in the last game.
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