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Last year’s MTN8 finalists Stellenbosch FC are hoping to banish the demons of that October evening in Durban, when they kick off their 2025/26 season with a clash against Amazulu this weekend.
Stellies lost 3-1 against Orlando Pirates with two late goals for the Buccaneers that day, and a decisive win against Usuthu at the Cape Town stadium will prove to many that their route to the decider was not a fluke.
Veteran goalkeeper Lee Langeveldt says they know what awaits them against coach Arthur Zwane’s team.
"Obviously top eight anything goes, AmaZulu are a good team like I said they released a couple of about 15, 16 players, so, they are also in a rebuilding type of phase," Langeveldt said.
“So, hopefully that will work to our advantage. I think we're a settled team, we might have lost one or two players but the new players that came in, they are looking sharp and they're ready to go."
Steve Barker’s side will be without three key players who started that final.
While Ivorian Ismael Toure has left the country altogether for the UAE, Sihle Nduli and Fawaaz Basadien have moved up to the highveld to Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns respectively.
"No tough like you say, they were three important players for us but like you all know our recruitment department, they plan well, so they knew about these players leaving so we brought in a couple of new players hopefully you guys will see them soon but they're looking good at training, hopefully you’ll see them soon in training,” he added.
Langeveldt and his teammates have been hard at work in pre-season training, which included camp in Gauteng in order to get more competitive friendly games among other things.
He says their readiness will only get tested in a match of real consequence.
"No, we're all looking forward to the weekend. I think we are all excited, it's been a while since we played an official match. We've played a couple of matches now in the off season and it went pretty well.
“I think last season we played over 50 games, that's the most for us as a football club in one season. So, the guys had a good break, came back into a good pre-season and now we're looking forward to the first match."
