Local champions, Jwaneng Galaxy and Gaborone United (GU) find themselves away from home this weekend as they seek advancement in the CAF inter-club competitions. The two teams face differing circumstances, as Galaxy are poised for progress while GU face a challenging task.
Galaxy are set to compete tomorrow in the second leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary round against Uganda's Vipers. Holding a solid yet vulnerable 2-0 lead from their home match, the league champions must navigate uncharted territory as they make their maiden appearance in Uganda. Departing by air on Wednesday, the team has had two days to acclimatise in the Eastern African nation. Ahead of the encounter, Vipers, known as the Venoms, are primed and prepared to strike with head coach Martin Neiva Leonardo cautioning Galaxy of their readiness.
"Galaxy are a very good side, they are an organised team and they started everything (the attacks) and what we did was to accept but that is no excuse, they deserved to win. But the game is still open, very open. If Galaxy can score two goals at home, we can also score in Uganda to move forward (in the competition)," cautioned Leonardo.
The match is scheduled to take place at the 15,000-seater St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende, starting at 8pm (local time).
Gaborone United (GU), on the other hand, will embark this evening on a journey to Madagascar, where they will face ELGECO PLUS. The two sides will engage in the second leg of the CAF Confederations Cup preliminary round, with GU carrying a 1-0 deficit from the initial encounter. The setback on their home turf has not favoured GU, as they now confront a formidable challenge posed by the adept ELGECO PLUS team. Noted for their ball possession and central attack strategy, GU were outplayed in terms of ball retention during the initial leg, a situation that could be exacerbated in an away fixture with ELGECO PLUS already holding an advantage.
Coach Pontsho Moloi has taken responsibility for his team's home defeat, asserting that errors will be rectified in the upcoming away fixture. The two teams are scheduled to face off on Sunday at 10:30pm (local time).
