Veteran goalkeeper Washington Arubi feels Marumo Gallants players have shone at the Caf Confederation Cup — enough to market themselves. However, they are still pursuing continental glory and trying to save the club’s DStv Premiership status.
But Marumo Gallants’ magnificent run in the Caf Confed Cup appears to have hit a roadblock. Their chances of progressing to the final now hang by a thread after the 2-0 semifinal first-leg loss to hosts Young Africans of Tanzania on Wednesday.
Yanga, as the Tanzanian outfit is affectionately known, have one foot in the climax after they beat the South Africans, thanks to second-half goals by Stephane Aziz Ki and former Orlando Pirates man Bernard Morrison.
But Arubi and his teammates are confident they can overturn the deficit when they host Yanga at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg on Wednesday (6pm).
Their confidence stems from Gallants having won all their Confed Cup games at home.
“We have been in a situation like this before in this competition, when we played USM Alger of Algeria. We lost 2-0 there and came to play at home, where we won 2-0,” Arubi said.
“We had the same situation before we proceeded to the group stages. We played a team from Libya (Al Ahli Tripoli) and we lost 1-0, and we overturned that by winning 3-0 at home.
“We haven’t lost at home,” the skipper said. “We actually won all our home games and that is a motivation for all the players and also the team to be positive about overturning this result. I’m 100% sure we are going to qualify for the final.”
Arubi also draws much confidence from Dylan Kerr, who led the side to Nedbank Cup glory and saved them from relegation last season.
I’m 100% sure we are going to qualify for the final
— Washington Arubi
Kerr is a consultant at the club, influencing games from the stands.
After their Confed Cup second-leg semifinal, Bahlabane ba Ntwa will turn their focus to one of the biggest games of their lives — against Swallows FC in a league match at Dobsonville Stadium on Saturday (3pm).
A win for Gallants will save them from relegation to the Motsepe Foundation Championship, the second tier of the lucrative DStv Premiership.
The story of how the Premier Soccer League strugglers have taken the African continent by surprise, running all the way to the Confed Cup last four, is well documented.
What makes it more impressive is that they achieved all this despite the PSL relegation axe hanging over their heads.
“This has been great because, you know, it has been a difficult journey for the whole team,” Arubi said. “But it also has been giving us massive experience and exposure for a lot of players. I don’t think many people expected us to be where we are right now.”
It is easy for the 37-year-old’s words to come across as if the players are already looking to jump ship should Gallants take a fall, but that is not the case. In fact, Arubi said the Confed Cup has boosted their fight against the chop at home, where they have lifted themselves from the foot of the table.
“I think we got the confidence (to believe we can go all the way) after we went past the preliminaries and group stages. It gave us massive confidence to pick up some points in the (domestic) league,” Arubi said.
Players such as potent striker Ranga Chivaviro, Katlego Otladisa, Mpho Mvelase, Lucky Mohomi and Sibusiso Sibeko have been key figures for the nomadic South African team on all fronts.
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