'His whole family was there': Saddened Stellies coach opens up on Oshwin Andries death

Oshwin Andries' last game for Stellenbosch FC was also the first time his whole family were there to watch him play, a visibly sombre head coach Steve Barker told reporters in Cape Town on Wednesday.

Stellenbosch FC take to the famous Athlone Stadium pitch for their Nedbank Cup Round of 32 clash against Soweto's Swallows FC on Saturday (kick-off 15:00), but there will be heavy hearts among the players following the death of one of their own, Oshwin Andries.

The 19-year-old, who played in midfield, but could also be trusted in defence, shockingly died last Saturday after being stabbed near his home in Klapmuts, less than 18km from Stellenbosch.

His passing brought about a huge shock to the South African football fraternity.

Ahead of Saturday's match, Barker opened up about the "talented" player for the first time since his passing.

"As a football club, we are saddened by the tragic loss of such a talented young player at only 19 years old. Oshwin has been with us from a young age," he said.

"Not too long ago, he graduated to the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) team and had a really good DDC career in terms of helping the team win the league. So, he is a league winner."

Andries climbed the football ladder much like any other aspiring professional athlete with an eye for the top tier, and his hard work allowed him to play in the United Kingdom with Stellenbosch's youngsters in the Next Gen Cup, which they won.

"To play in the tournament, to win the tournament and to score a 'David Beckham-ish' type of goal from his half and then come back, be promoted and then ... get starts with the PSL team. He loved football. He lived for football," said Barker.

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