In a game that had flashes of the Covid-19 era soccer, Marumo Gallants defeated USM Alger 2-0 yesterday in a CAF Confederation Cup encounter at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto.
The match was played behind closed doors due to the expenses that come with hosting a capacity crowd in a stadium. The stands were empty as fans were outside at the gates pleading to be allowed into the stadium.
In the stands was one steward, a couple of groundsmen and the emergency medical team on standby. Similar to matches that were played in the Bio Bubble during the height of the pandemic, the elements of hearing players communicating, coaches yelling instructions and the referee’s whistle being louder than usual were to be found.
What was also interesting to note was that the travelling contingency of Alger from Algeria slightly overwhelmed one of their hosts in the VIP area.
The atmosphere resonated with a preseason friendly match instead of a high-stakes continental club competition.
On the pitch, Gallants started like a house on fire, putting pressure on the visiting team who were also trying to deal with the scorching hot weather in Soweto. Gallants landed the first punch as early as the seventh minute when Lesiba Nku found the back of the net after being teed up by Celimpilo Ngema.
With the score at 1-0, Raymond Mdaka’s side set back and allowed the game to unfold. Both teams matched each other with possession as they tried to stamp their authority on the match. Technically, Gallants were better than Alger, as they passed the ball better and were more composed in the final third.
As the ball was kept away from them, Alger grew frustrated and this was summarised when one of their players hit a Gallants player and this saw a scuffle break out but no players were punished as the officials missed it.
In the second stanza, Gallants pushed hard for a second goal as they looked to take advantage of Alger players showing signs of tiring because of the heat. In the 75th minute, they got their second via Letsie Koapeng, securing the 2-0 win.
The victory moved Gallants to first place in Group A with nine points after four matches, with USM second on seven points. With two games left in the round-robin stages, the SA side needs one point to secure their place in the knockout stages.
Gallants prevail over Alger amid Covid-era-like silence
Marumo now one point away from Confed Cup knockout phase
Image: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
In a game that had flashes of the Covid-19 era soccer, Marumo Gallants defeated USM Alger 2-0 yesterday in a CAF Confederation Cup encounter at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto.
The match was played behind closed doors due to the expenses that come with hosting a capacity crowd in a stadium. The stands were empty as fans were outside at the gates pleading to be allowed into the stadium.
In the stands was one steward, a couple of groundsmen and the emergency medical team on standby. Similar to matches that were played in the Bio Bubble during the height of the pandemic, the elements of hearing players communicating, coaches yelling instructions and the referee’s whistle being louder than usual were to be found.
What was also interesting to note was that the travelling contingency of Alger from Algeria slightly overwhelmed one of their hosts in the VIP area.
The atmosphere resonated with a preseason friendly match instead of a high-stakes continental club competition.
On the pitch, Gallants started like a house on fire, putting pressure on the visiting team who were also trying to deal with the scorching hot weather in Soweto. Gallants landed the first punch as early as the seventh minute when Lesiba Nku found the back of the net after being teed up by Celimpilo Ngema.
With the score at 1-0, Raymond Mdaka’s side set back and allowed the game to unfold. Both teams matched each other with possession as they tried to stamp their authority on the match. Technically, Gallants were better than Alger, as they passed the ball better and were more composed in the final third.
As the ball was kept away from them, Alger grew frustrated and this was summarised when one of their players hit a Gallants player and this saw a scuffle break out but no players were punished as the officials missed it.
In the second stanza, Gallants pushed hard for a second goal as they looked to take advantage of Alger players showing signs of tiring because of the heat. In the 75th minute, they got their second via Letsie Koapeng, securing the 2-0 win.
The victory moved Gallants to first place in Group A with nine points after four matches, with USM second on seven points. With two games left in the round-robin stages, the SA side needs one point to secure their place in the knockout stages.
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