To put it bluntly, and not to beat about the bush, it is going to be very, very difficult for Marumo Gallants to beat Orlando Pirates in the final of the Carling Knockout Cup at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Saturday. The final will kick off at 6pm.
Gallants have put up a gallant fight since the competition started and may have all the reasons to believe that they do have a shot at causing an upset and beating the well-oiled Buccaneers machine, but the reality is that Pirates are the favourites and the scales are tipping towards them to win the trophy.
In their last 19 matches in all competitions, Pirates have lost one match, the 3-0 loss to Saint Eloi Lupopo in the CAF Champions League first leg in the DR Congo.
The Buccaneers have been in a mean mood, destroying everything before them, and they have also caught up with log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns in the Betway Premiership.
Besides cup success, Gallants have not won a single game in their last three league matches: 4-0 to Golden Arrows, 1-0 to Durban City, and a recent 1-1 draw with Sekhukhune United last week.
But as they say, the sweetest victory comes after adversity—and that is why sport is so unpredictable.
And under the leadership of Alexandre Lafitte, the youngest coach in the PSL at the tender coaching age of 28 years, Gallants have evolved into one of the trickiest and most difficult opponents in recent times.
Lafitte succeeded Abdeslam Ouaddou, who is now the crowd favourite and kingmaker at the Buccaneers.
Ouaddou will get a hostile reception from the Gallants fans because of the manner in which he jumped ship, only for him to later emerge at Pirates.
En route to the final, Pirates defeated Siwelele FC 1-0, then waltzed past Magesi FC in the quarterfinals before booking their place in the final via a 1-0 victory over Richards Bay United in Durban.
Marumo, on the other hand, opened their campaign with a win over Sundowns.
They also nailed Stellenbosch FC in the last eight before knocking Golden Arrows out in the semifinals to book their place in the final against the Bucs.
