CAPE TOWN – Stellenbosch FC, led by a new group of owners, have a long-term vision in place for the Cape Winelands-based club. Now owned by Remgro Limited and the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport, head coach Steve Barker is the man tasked with building and developing the squad.
First on the agenda for Stellenbosch, though, is to get the go-ahead to play their home fixtures at Idas Valley Stadium.
With Athlone Stadium not yet ready to host any football games, the Mother City’s four NFD teams - Stellenbosch, Ajax Cape Town, Ubuntu Cape Town and Cape Umoya United - have been playing away fixtures in the early part of the season. Derbies, though, have taken place at Cape Town Stadium.
Stellenbosch, however, are keen to take the game to the people of the surrounding communities of where they are based, which is why they are keen to use Idas Valley as their home venue. The man in charge of stadium inspection is the PSL’s chief operations officer, Professor Ronnie Schloss.
Yagan Sasman of Ajax Cape Town evades a challenge from Lelethu Skelem of Stellenbosch FC at Cape Town Stadium. Photo: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix
“We are looking to play our home games at Idas Valley in Stellenbosch,” said the club’s head coach Steve Barker. “Professor Schloss is coming down soon to have a look and make a call on when we can start playing there. I can tell you, Idas Valley will buzz.”
As it stands at the moment, going into the international break, Ajax have made the best start: the former PSL club is joint-top on seven points (two wins and a draw) alongside Mbombela United.
Richards Bay and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila and Umoya have registered three draws and are in 10th spot; Ubuntu have lost all three their fixtures to date and are stone-last on the NFD standings.