Johannesburg - Marumo Gallants suffered their first defeat of the Caf Confederation Cup group stage after falling to a 2-0 Group A defeat against USM Alger at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers on Sunday.
The result saw the South African team move down to second place in the group, swapping places with USM Alger who have taken over top spot. As the runners-up in the group currently, Bahlabane Ba Ntwa remain on course to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition.
They have a three-point advantage over third-place side Saint-Eloi Lupopo of Congo.
Marumo Gallants have so far been a surprise package in Africa, performing better than most people expected. They will be hoping that their heroic displays on the continent can inspire a resurgence in the Premiership, where they have been struggling.
The club finds themselves bottom of the league with 18 points after 21 games and three points behind second from bottom Maritzburg United.
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They also next face a challenging encounter against runaway league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns on Thursday in a Nedbank Cup Round of 16 clash. The game will be a repeat of last season’s final which saw Sundowns prevail 2-1 in extra time.
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Marumo Gallants then return to league action on Sunday in a home clash against the an TS Galaxy. With the latter end of the season approaching, Marumo Gallants will have to set their priorities for the season in the next week or two. Should results not go their way domestically, they may have to focus their main efforts on ensuring league survival over advancing further in Africa given that league survival will be their top priority.
IOL Sport