The coaches involved in a recent MTN8 football game at Danie Craven stadium both complained about the state of the pitch, claiming that it deteriorated significantly during the game.
Stellenbosch FC secured a spot in the MTN8 semi-finals after beating TS Galaxy 3-1 in Stellenbosch on Sunday 4 August. PHOTO: Mia Oliver
Sead Ramović, head coach of the Mpumalanga-based football club TS Galaxy, claimed that the bad quality of the field contributed to his team’s loss against Stellenbosch FC on 4 August.
“You allow the two teams to play on a horrible pitch. Where are the standards from PSL? How can they allow that a game, on a professional level, […] be played on a field like this,” Ramović said after the game.
The pitch became muddy as the game progressed, which negatively impacted the quality of the game, claimed Stellenbosch FC head coach Steve Barker. His team beat TS Galaxy 3-1.
“In the second half, the pitch had deteriorated quite a lot […] it was difficult to just keep and maintain possession,” Barker said.
Weather conditions contribute to surface quality
“At this time of the year, the Kikuyu grass, which is the surface of the Danie Craven, has absolutely no growth because of the weather conditions,” said Stellenbosch University operations and facilities manager Louis Fincham when asked about the field’s quality.
“The Cape is very cold at the moment and obviously extremely wet […] that causes [the] grass to go dormant. With all the playing on the fields, […] the grass does get damaged but cannot recover,” said Fincham.
Fincham said that facilities management used ryegrass on the field for the winter season, but after several World Rugby U20 Championship tournament games were played at the Danie Craven stadium throughout July 2024, the grass was damaged again.
The terrain of the Danie Craven stadium pitch deteriorated during the second half of a recent football match between Stellenbosch FC and TS Galaxy, claimed Steve Barker, head coach of Stellenbosch FC. This match was played on 4 August. PHOTO: Mia Oliver
Stellies progress to the semi-finals
Meanwhile, Stellenbosch FC won 3-1 despite struggling to maintain possession in the second half, Barker said. With their victory over TS Galaxy, Stellenbosch FC has secured a spot in the MTN8 semi-finals which kicks off on 10 August.
Barker said that he was nervous heading into the first match of the season, and that the poor pitch conditions were compounded by the mentality of the Stellenbosch FC players. Stellenbosch FC players struggled to maintain focus throughout the game, he said.
“There’s always a little bit of apprehension going into the game. [You are] not 100% sure where you’re at, regardless of how many trainees you’re played beforehand,” he said.
With their position secured, Stellenbosch FC is set to play in the semi-finals against Orlando Pirates, according to Barker. At the time of publication, the semi-final dates have not been confirmed yet.
Stellenbosch FC’s performance in the second half of their recent game against TS Galaxy is due to a loss of concentration, according to Steve Barker, head coach of Stellenbosch FC. RECORDING: Mia Oliver