The CAF Confederations Cup is getting to the business end of things with the second legs of the first preliminary round qualification series coming up.
With a set of matches on Saturday, Friday saw Marumo Gallants do the needful by securing qualification to the next round. The South African side booked their place in the next round of the competition with a resounding 3-0 victory over Futuro Kings of Equatorial Guinea.
The onus was on the hosts to take the game to Futuro as the Guinean side came into the game with a 2-1 first-leg win. Marumo named Phillip Ndlondo in the side or the return leg after he scaled through a last-minute fitness test. Ndlondo was the Gallant’s lone goal scorer from the first leg defeat.
Knowing they needed to win assertively, the home side started the recovery shortly before the half-hour point, with Celimpilo Ngema getting on the scoring act. Marumo went into the break with a 1-0 advantage.
With the game balanced on a knife-edge, Sebastien Migne’s lads continued their quest for the goals that would put the game to bed. They were intent on making their home advantage count.
Ngema was a lively customer, and he piled more misery on the visitors in the second half by getting his second goal of the game. The goal put Marumo in a comfortable position, with the visitors needing to score to get back in the game.
With 12 minutes left to left to play, Gallants put the game to bed with Thabo Mnyamane scoring the third goal to help his side to the next round of the competition on 4-2 aggregate.
Marumo Gallant’s head coach Sebastien Migne was pleased with his side for winning and not conceding. According to Migne, it was a feat achieved amid the travel hiccups they had in travelling to Equatorial Guinea and back.
The next round of the competition will now see Gallants lock horns with AS Vita Club of Congo in October.