The Botswana champions are confident of downing the Buccaneers yet again
Jwaneng Galaxy coach Morena Ramoreboli is drawing inspiration from Botswana sprinter Letsile Tebogo ahead of his team’s meeting with Orlando Pirates in the CAF Champions League.
Galaxy set up a meeting with Pirates in the second preliminary round of the continental competition on Saturday following a 6-5 win on penalties against Namibia’s African Stars after the tie had ended 1-1 on aggregate.
It will be the second year in a row that Pirates and Galaxy face off at the same stage with the Botswana champions eliminating the Buccaneers in 2023 to advance to the group stages of the competition.
Can Jwaneng Galaxy silence Pirates again?
However, Jose Riveiro’s men look better prepared this time after thrashing Disciplines FC from Madagascar 4-0 and Ramoreboli admits it will not be easy but the story of Tebogo, who won Botswana’s first-ever Olympics gold medal at the Paris 2024 Games, is giving them hope.
“It’s another tough encounter looming for us. We are not getting overexcited. There is nothing much to say about Orlando Pirates; it’s known that they are a bigger team than us,” the South African coach said, as quoted by FARPost.
“We will give them the same respect we gave them in the previous matches. So, we know it will still be a difficult match for us as a team. What they did against Disciples FC is remarkable and a big statement of their intentions this time.
“But all of us now know the importance of being resilient because of Letsile Tebogo. He made us understand that a black child must first believe so as to win everything.
The Buccaneers look formidable this time
“He won the Olympic gold medal [in 200m] and became the first African to win it. Letsile is an inspiration, and for me, what we will do, we will do to make a mark and history.
“The story of Letsile gives us hope that we need to believe in ourselves because we are a good team. These players know how to fight.”
Pirates will be looking for revenge this time round after losing 2-1 on aggregate last September. Riveiro’s men lost 1-0 in the first leg away before a 1-1 draw in the return match in South Africa.
The second preliminary round will be played between September 13 and 15 before the second leg between September 20 and 22 with Galaxy hosting the first leg.
