BLOEMFONTEIN – The Marumo Gallants football team has advanced to a second successive Carling Knockout Cup semifinal after an impressive win against former champions Stellenbosch FC in a rain-drenched quarter-final fixture played last night, on Wednesday 29 October, in Bloemfontein.
The Gallants reached this stage of the competition after claiming a 4 – 0 victory, capitalising on the heavy downpour to score an avalanche of goals. As the heavens opened, the hosts kept scoring goals – much to the delight of a handful of fans in attendance.
Gallants head coach Alexandre Lafitte was pleased with the club’s first big win under his guidance.
“I’m very happy to qualify for the semifinals, and I’m also happy because we did not concede a goal in this match; and scoring four goals, I’m extremely happy. We used spaces well and it was good managing to do it against a good team like Stellenbosch,” said Lafitte.
We got beaten fair and squarely in terms of the scoreline, and congratulations to the Marumo Gallants. They took their opportunities well in the game – Steve Barker
The Bloemfontein outfit will face Lamontville Golden Arrows FC in the Carling Knockout Cup semifinal, while Orlando Pirates will clash with another KwaZulu-Natal side, Richards Bay, in the other semifinal encounter.
The Premier Soccer League (PSL) conducted the draw at the Dr R.P. Molemela Stadium, immediately after the match between the Gallants and Stellenbosch ended.
Bay beat Durban City 2 – 1 on Saturday 25 October, while Pirates overcame the reigning champions, Magesi FC, by claiming a 2 – 1 victory at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday 27 October.
The Gallants’ win was a repeat of last year, and saw them secure a double over Steve Barker’s charges. Last season the Bahlabane ba Ntwa claimed a 1 – 0 victory in the quarterfinal.
“We got beaten fair and squarely in terms of the scoreline, and congratulations to the Marumo Gallants. They took their opportunities well in the game,” said Barker.
The Stellies mentor bemoaned their misfortune on the night.
“In football it seems all your bad luck comes in one game,” he said, referring to incidents when two defenders tried to clear the danger, but ended up with the ball falling for the opponents, who capitalised to score and extend the scoreline.
The Gallants’ pint-sized midfielder-cum-striker Phillip Ndlondlo was instrumental in the 4 – 0 demolition of the Western Cape side, scoring a brace in the second half of the match, taking the fight out of Stellies. He received R10 000 in prize money as the man of the match.
Substitutes Monde Mpambaniso and Edgar Manaka came off the bench to get their names on the scoresheet too.
