Saturday’s Carling Knockout Cup final between Stellenbosch and TS Galaxy might be pitting clubs that don’t enjoy huge following but will give a refreshing feel for the men in charge of the two dressing rooms.
Moses Mabhida Stadium (December 16 – 15h00) will again be the venue for yet another final though this time it will be two coaches who have never won top league silverware but will have due reward for the patience that their clubs have shown in them.
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Steve Barker and Sead Ramovic are two of the three longest-serving coaches in their current in the DStv Premiership with the other being Eric Tinkler of Cape Town City.
Barker has been in the Western Cape since July 2017 when the club was in the first division from where he won promotion after finishing top of the standings.
Since then, Barker has stood the test of time finishing 10th, 14th, 4th, and 6th in the league.
His seventh season in charge has meant silverware can now delivered to the Cape Winelands if Stellies manage to get past TS Galaxy.
Neutrals will feel Barker deserves to go up the podium as the winner considering the impressive work that he has been putting in with a limited budget and a squad pregnant with development graduates.
Both Stellies and Barker have never won trophies in the top tier of South African football.
For TS Galaxy, the only silverware they have ever won was the 2019 Nedbank Cup when they overcame Kaizer Chiefs in the final with Zakhele Lepasa scoring the goal that made the difference.
Galaxy were playing in the first division at the time and made history in becoming the first club to lift the top knockout competition.
That victory came with Dan Malesela at the helm before he made way for Owen da Gama after which Ramovic took over in October 2021.
The Serbian German is now the third longest serving coach in his current job.
Through being loud in expressing his opinions this will be the best response to his critics after consecutive bottom half finishes in the two years that he has been in charge.
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Ramovic joined TS Galaxy in October 2021 and has since completed two years in charge at the club.
The 44-year-old enjoys support from club boss Tim Sukazi who will be in a jovial mood should another trophy be added to their cabinet.
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