CAF Champions League final not a fluke: Katsande

JOHANNESBURG — Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Willard Katsande says they deserve to be in the CAF Champions League final and it is not by chance they will be meeting defending Champions Al Ahly on July 17.

It would be the first time ever for Chiefs to play in the Champions League final and the match will be on neutral ground in Morocco at Stade Mohamed V Stadium.

After a difficult season in the Premier Soccer League in which they struggled to claim a top-eight berth, Amakhosi were the surprise package in Africa.

Katsande feels it was no fluke that they reached the Champions League final in a season some least expected them to do so because of their domestic woes.

“My view about Ahly is that they are a good team with a rich history in African football. What we are going to do is give them the respect they deserve, but when it comes to matchday it’s a matter of who wants it more,” said Katsande as per Sowetan Live.

“So we are going there with our tag as underdogs, but we are just going to go there and showcase our talent. And they know that we are hungry to achieve. We didn’t come this far by mistake or fluke — we are here because we deserve to be here.” With Chiefs being first-timers in the final of this tournament and a visible gulf in continental achievements between Amakhosi and Al Ahly, Katsande feels the Egyptians will be complacent in their approach to the game. “So we are geared up, we have sharpened our swords, pulled our sleeves up, and we are ready to rumble,” Katsande said.

“Yes, obviously they will come with complacency and try to undervalue us, but at the end of the day it’s not about history, it's about the 90 minutes.

“We’ve seen in the Euros, how football is changing. It’s not about big teams. It’s about who wants it more for that particular day. As a youngster, you dream of these kinds of things. I just want to make it better by putting a star [above the badge], whereby in my career I will look back and say‚ ‘I’ve managed to do a lot when it comes to club football.’

“I’ve been at the club more than a decade – it means a lot. And I just need to put a cherry on the top where I can see how far I’ve gone and contributed to this biggest badge.”

Chiefs have already stated all their players are available for the Champions League final including Khama Billiat who was injured for the better part of the season.

PLYMOUTH — Trialist Brendan Galloway (pictured below) is already staking a strong clam to earn himself a Plymouth Argyle contract.

The 25-year-old former Everton defender has been with Ryan Lowe’s Pilgrims since they began pre-season training on June 23.

Galloway made his first appearance for Argyle in their opening warm-up match ahead of the 2021/22 League One campaign.

And he got his name on the scoresheet as the Pilgrims beat Plymouth Parkway at Bolitho Park in front of a crowd of around 900.

Galloway has played in the Premier League in the past and former England under-21s, so there is no doubting his ability.

However, his career has been hit hard by injuries which is why he finds himself in the position he is now in after being released by Championship club Luton Town.

Lowe told Plymouth Live: “He (Galloway) has been great. His fitness coming on. You can see today he was a lot stronger.

“He will continue to get stronger and fitter with us over the next week or so. His professionalism has been different class, so long may that continue.”

Galloway opened the scoring against Parkway on the half hour mark when he got the decisive touch in a goalmouth scramble following a Jordan Houghton corner.

Playing on the left side of Argyle’s three-man central defence, Galloway also demonstrated good recovery speed when he made an important block after Mikey Williams got in behind the Pilgrims.

Lowe said: “He’s a fantastic player. To be fair to him, his attitude has been different class.

“He was with us the back end of last season so he knew what we were about, knew what we were trying to build. He couldn’t wait to get back down here preseason.

“He’s here to earn a contract and if he continues to perform the way we know he can then he will be fine.

“What we have got to do with Brendan, we have got to monitor him and we have got to manage him. He does his off work programme all the time to keep in good nick.

“But you don’t play in the Premier League 16 or 17 times if you are not a good player, and then in the Championship.

“We know what he’s about. Hopefully we can keep him fit and hopefully he can be a part of Argyle going forward. We will just keep working with him, keep building him up and see where it goes.”