Gallants target Stellies' scalp after Bucs victory

After bagging a morale-boosting victory over Orlando Pirates last time out, Marumo Gallants will now shift their focus onto Stellenbosch FC with their latest Betway Premiership tie, set to commence at the Dr Molemela Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Kick-off is at 7:30pm (CAT, GMT+2)

CURRENT FORM

Gallants’ win against the Buccaneers came after a five-match winless streak that included consecutive losses to Richards Bay, AmaZulu and Mamelodi Sundowns in the month of February.

Now back in the winning column, Gallants currently occupy 13th position on the log, six points adrift of the top eight.

While Gallants hope to build on their victory over the Soweto giants, Stellenbosch FC will aim to go one better than their 1-1 draw with Polokwane City in their most recent Betway Premiership encounter.

However, the Cape Winelands side are unbeaten in their last four league matches, while claiming victories over TS Galaxy and Magesi during this period. As it stands, Stellenbosch are in sixth place on the table after accumulating 28 points from 18 matches played so far.

WHAT WAS SAID

Reflecting on his side being without key personnel in the coming matchdays, Marumo Gallants coach Abdeslam Ouaddou hopes to find ‘solutions’ to their depth going forward.

“It is bad for us for the next few games because we play every two or three days, and it changes our plans completely because we need to find solutions for the players that are out,” Ouaddou said.

“I thought we did well with my staff; we brought some players in defence, and I thought they did well.”

Stellies mentor Steve Barker reserved special praise for Ashley Cupido recently, after the attacker found his goal scoring boots in the PSL.

“The weight of expectations at the beginning might have weighed a bit on him. But it’s a matter of persevering,” Barker said.

“We showed that he was doing exactly the same thing that he was doing at Cape Town Spurs and scoring goals.

“It wasn’t that he wasn’t scoring and doing things. It’s just that things were not happening for him. So in this situation, you just got to persevere and be patient.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Marumo Gallants: Gabadinho Mhango – The Malawian star was a top performer against Pirates last time out and will hope to maintain his goal scoring form against Stellies this week. Known as a big-game player, Mhango thrives in high-pressure situations, which will be a cause of high concern for Stellenbosch on Tuesday.

Stellenbosch FC: Ashley Cupido – After getting Barker’s stamp of approval, Cupido has proven to be an important player for Stellenbosch in recent weeks. The former Cape Town Spurs man has now gotten himself among the goals, and will head into the next game with a much needed injection of confidence.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Last five league results

2021/22 Stellenbosch 1-0 Gallants

2022/22 Gallants 1-0 Stellenbosch

2022/23 Gallants 0-0 Stellenbosch

2022/23 Stellenbosch 1-1 Gallants

2024/25 Stellenbosch 1-0 Gallants