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Gallants stun Pirates in Bloemfontein thriller

───   MORGAN PIEK 10:13 Wed, 13 Aug 2025

Gallants stun Pirates in Bloemfontein thriller | News Article
Daniel Msendami against Pirates in March when Marumo won 2-0 in Bloemfontein. Photo: Morgan Piek

The Premier Soccer League club from Bloemfontein, Marumo Gallants, made a big statement on Tuesday night with a sensational victory at a packed Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium during the second round of the league.

Marumo secured back-to-back wins in the top-flight of domestic football with a 2-1 win over the much-fancied Orlando Pirates, now under the guidance of Abdes Ouaddou, the former Gallants head coach. It was Gallants’ second win in as many games after they kicked off their season on a high note on Saturday by beating Richards Bay FC 2-1 at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban – despite captain Edgar Manaka being shown a red card in the 39th minute, becoming the first player to be sent off in the league this season.

Pirates showed early intent as they looked to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Sekhukhune United on Saturday at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto. Their efforts paid off when Patrick Maswanganyi opened the scoring in the 16th minute, guiding the ball into the back of the net following a neat cross into the box.

Marumo Gallants defender Marvin Sikhosana was named the man of the match. Photo: Morgan Piek

On the stroke of half-time, Gallants equalised when Daniel Msendami rounded off a stunning team goal to send the sides into the break level at 1-1.

As the game wore on, Gallants grew more and more into the contest and began asking serious questions of the Buccaneers’ defence. Their pressure paid off when new striker Jaisen Clifford was on the receiving end of a brilliantly executed cross two minutes into stoppage time. 

While the delivery was excellent, Clifford still had work to do, but he expertly finished to secure a dramatic and memorable victory.

Following the win, Gallants’ new coach Alexandre Laffite, who is enjoying a dream start to his PSL career, praised the team’s resilience and execution.

“Ja, it’s a fantastic result – honestly, I’m very happy for the team, for the fans, and for the whole club,” said the 28-year-old, who is the youngest coach in PSL history. “It was a difficult game, because when you play a team like Pirates, you know it’s going to be tough – they’re a fantastic side.

“I think our game plan worked well. The idea when we didn’t have the ball was to press high for short periods, but also to stay compact and patient when needed. And when we had possession, we looked to play, to find the free player and build from there.

“The first goal was beautiful, and when we started the second half, we had good control and were doing the right things. Of course, there were difficult moments, especially because of their athletic quality – it wasn’t easy for us.

“But in the end, with the substitutions, we managed to score the winning goal. A very important victory for us.”

Meanwhile, for the other team from Bloemfontein, it was a much less successful evening. Siwelele FC, who beat Golden Arrows 3-1 at the same venue on Saturday, were quickly brought back down to earth as they suffered their first defeat of the season.

A 73rd-minute strike by Letsie Koapeng handed newly promoted Orbit College FC a historic 1-0 win at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto, their first-ever victory in the PSL.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek mvh

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