‘The story of Letsile Tebogo gives us hope’: Ramoreboli on Galaxy facing Pirates again
Jwaneng Galaxy coach Morena Ramoreboli is invigorated by the opportunity to face Orlando Pirates once again, citing the remarkable achievement of Letsile Tebogo at the 2024 Paris Olympics as a source of inspiration.
Tebogo’s historic victory in the 200-meter sprint at the Paris Olympics, a first for any African athlete and Botswana’s first Olympic gold serves as a powerful testament to the potential of Botswana’s sporting talent.
Ramoreboli saw a parallel between Tebogo’s victory and his own team’s aspirations. Just as Tebogo defied expectations and broke records, Jwaneng Galaxy aim to prove that they are capable of repeating last season’s feat over Pirates.
On Saturday, Galaxy beat Namibia’s African Stars 6-5 on penalties to reach the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League. After the two legs, the match ended 1-1 on aggregate.
Ramoreboli’s troops now face Pirates in the next round, something that has ultimately left Jwaneng Galaxy’s faithful abuzz.
Pirates and Jwaneng Galaxy will renew their rivalry in the second round of the CAF Champions League preliminary round, the same stage they faced off in the 2023/24 campaign.
Last time out, Jwaneng Galaxy were victorious as Pirates suffered an embarrassing exit from the inter-club competition.
And with pressure hard on Pirates’ heels, having failed to return to the Champions League group stages since the 2018/19 season, they face Galaxy again.
WHAT JWANENG GALAXY COACH MORENA RAMOREBOLI SAID
How it will play out remains to be seen, but the stocky South African coach Ramoreboli is optimistic. After Galaxy’s match against African Stars, he complimented Pirates after their impressive win over Disciples FC.
The outspoken mentor said they draw inspiration from Letsile Tebogo, the first African athlete to win the men’s Olympic 200-metre title.
“It’s another tough encounter looming for us. We are not getting overexcited. There is nothing much to say about Orlando Pirates; it’s known that they are a bigger team than us.
“We will give them the same respect we gave them in the previous matches. So we know it will still be a difficult match for us as a team. What they did against Disciples FC is remarkable and a big statement of their intentions this time.
“But all of us now know the importance of being resilient because of Letsile Tebogo. He made us understand that a black child must first believe so as to win everything.
“He won the Olympic gold medal and became the first African to win it. Letsile is an inspiration, and for me, what we will do, we will do to make a mark and history.
“The story of Letsile gives us hope that we need to believe in ourselves because we are a good team. These players know how to fight,” he said.
The Buccaneers put up a masterclass performance to account for a big win over Madagascar’s Disciples at Orlando Stadium on Friday night. As a result, the Soweto giants progressed to the second round of the Champions League preliminary round.
An own goal by Andoniana and good goals scored by Relebohile Mofokeng, Patrick Maswanganyi and Karim Kimvuidi were all Pirates needed.
RELATED STORY:Pirates hammer Disciples FC to progress to next round of CAF Champions League