Steve Barker insists Stellenbosch in decisive week for Top 2 ambition

The side from the Winelands are away to high-flying Sekhukhune United tonight in Polokwane hoping to continue their unbeaten run of 21 games in all competitions having also progressed to the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup.

With TS Galaxy also to follow in the league on Sunday, the Stellies coach believes these two fixtures could make or break their season.

"Yes, I do, I did sort of tell the players we had the previous sort of three matches in the week with the two derbies, that was also sort of decisive, we were fortunate to sort of beat City [Cape Town City] but draw with Spurs [Cape Town Spurs]. So, we're having three matches in a week quite often which is the consequence of us playing in the Nedbank so those two games away I believe you know will be a defining moment in sort of our ambitions to finish as high as we can," Barker said.

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Barked added he did not want to get ahead of himself with talks that they are favourites to play in the CAF Champions League along with Mamelodi Sundowns, who are expected to defend their trophy.

"If we can come away from those two matches with decent results then we're going into the last six games in a really healthy position with a lot of home games left and we will then feel that we didn't really have a big chance. Right now, I don't wanna be entertaining that we're gonna be going to the Champions League or we're gonna finish [Top 2], I think there's a lot of football to be played and there are some big games that we have to overcome," the coach explained.

According to Barker, their purple patch so far does mean everyone is watching – but he takes the positives out of the attention coming their way.

"It does bring a bit of pressure but it's positive pressure, it's not pressure that you've lost five and if you don't win the next one, [you are] bottom of the log. It's positive pressure but it does obviously create the expectation you know, how far can we take it, how far can we go. You know we just gotta take it one game at a time."