Oshwin Andries: Coach Barker breaks silence

Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker has publicly reacted to the death of his 19-year-old player Oshwin Andries.

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STELLENBOSCH FC’S OSHWIN ANDRIES PASSES AWAY

As The South African website reported last week, the South African U20 captain died in Klapmus after he was stabbed at a tarven.

READ: Stellenbosch FC player killed in Cape Town

READ: ‘Died in his mother’s arms’ – Slain Stellebosch player

COACH STEVE BARKER PAYS TRIBUTE

Speaking to the media this week ahead of his team’s Nedbank Cup tie against Maritzburg United, Barker described Oshwin Andries’ last match as full of bravery, courage and quality.

“As a football club, we are saddened. It’s a tragic loss of such a talented player… at only 19 years old to have lost his life… it hasn’t been easy for us,” said Barker via SowetanLIVE.

“Oshwin has been with us from a young age. He started at Maties playing as a youngster and then joined our youth programme from U/14 upwards; he was U/16 Player of the Season not so long ago and graduated to our DDC team and had a good DDC career, helping the team win the league and he travelled to the UK,

“Three things I will never forget is the three performances he had at Danie Craven [Stadium] this season; in his first full debut he was man of the match against Orlando Pirates, he had a great game against Royal AM, he scored a great goal, and then his last appearance was against Cape Town City, and again he put on a strong performance.

“It’s a cliché saying there are times where I remind players you have to play football and every game as if it’s your last game, and it was his last game, and he can be proud of his performance which was full of courage, full of bravery, full of quality.

“It was an important match at home, a derby with the stadium full of people. He acquainted himself extremely well in that match. He was the last player to leave the field when everyone had gone to the changing room. He went and thanked the supporters, and it was the first time that his whole family was there to watch him,”

– Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker on Oshwin Andries’ death.

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