Prayers answered
Kabelo Boranabi | Saturday September 10, 2022 06:00
The Reds welcome Congolese giants, AS Vita, in the first leg of the preliminary round of qualifiers at the National Stadium on Sunday.
The tie, scheduled to kick off at 6pm, will mark a first ever clash between the two sides.
Much of the build-up has been dominated by the availability of the National Stadium for the tie. The giant facility hosts a church service starting today, ending on Sunday.
Yesterday afternoon, GU general manager, Thapelo Mothusi confirmed that the fixture will proceed as planned. He said there as been an agreement between the club and the church however both sides will not be able to have a feel of the venue before match day.
'The game will be played on Sunday as scheduled. There has been an agreement that will see the stadium will be ready for our game. The church has been given their time and we have been our time, so there will be no clash at all,' he said.
'Neither team will be able to train at the National Stadium before the game. I do not want to go further in to details but there are alternative training venues to be used by the two teams. But like what the director said at the press conference, the game will be played on Sunday,' Mothusi said Meanwhile, GU's assistant coach, Pontsho Moloi said his side only had a full squad to train this week.
The team had nine players on international duty with the Zebras. Moloi, however, said due to lack of active football locally at the moment, he is happy that part of his squad was active with the national team. 'We have been preparing so well. Unfortunately we have been preparing without nine of our players who were with the national team. They just got back and joined yesterday (Wednesday).
It can go both ways; it is a plus for us they were active and they have been playing competitively but also now our preparations without eight or nine players for five, six weeks that we have started training.' 'We know Vita, we have studied Vita. We have about two or three games of theirs that we have been watching and studying so there will not be any surprise for us. Come Sunday, we know what to expect and we are ready for them,' Moloi said. Newly appointed club captain, Mpho Kgaswane echoed his gaffer's sentiments as he said there is a fighting spirit amongst the players ahead of the squad. 'We are ready; the boys are ready. I would say it is not going to be an easy game.
It is the first time we are playing them but we are ready. It is going to be a hell of a game and I promise you we will deliver,' Kgaswane said. The Black Dolphins arrive in Gaborone today and are natural favourites despite playing away from home. AS Vita are making their 15th Champions League appearance this weekend. The team has had their fair share of brilliance in the competition having reached the semi-finals on four occasions. AS Vita's highest finish in continental football was in 2018 when they were runners-up in the CAF Confederations Cup. Moloi is aware of the threat posed by their weekend opponents and banks on his side's experience.
'This squad has a number of players who have travelled across Africa in these types of games and the national team. I personally have played in the Champions League before, I know what it takes.
The second assistant coach here (Joel Mogorosi) has been there also. The players here have over 500 national team caps combined, so if we talk about experience, I think we are experienced enough,' he said. The Reds will be missing Obonwe Maome and Karabo Phiri through injuries while new signings, Duncan Otieno and John Mark Makwata, will not make their debuts as they await work permits.