What Marumo Gallants are doing in the CAF Confederation Cup is not talked about and celebrated enough.
I'll be the first one to raise my hand, as someone in the media, to say that I have not played my part to ensure that their journey in the competition is well documented. If they go on to win the competition, few people will know about the ins and outs of their road to success, because we as the media are not doing enough to tell the nation about the amazing work that the club is doing to raise the South African flag, despite all the challenges they have faced up to now.
If it were Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates, I know that we would be reporting about it almost everyday and making sure that we try to get as many interviews as possible for the public to see and read. But, we have not quite done the same for Gallants and that should change, even for other South African clubs that will do well in CAF competitions in future.
Gallants deserve more and this column is a start. I know many might say why am I only writing something now that they are in the semi-finals, but there is a famous saying, "it's never too late".
To get to the semi-finals, while fighting relegation in the DStv Premiership, is a big deal. To get to the semi-finals, while you have a suspended coach (Dan Malesela) and a replacement without a work permit, is a big deal. To get to the semi-finals, after the drama they had in Libya, is a big deal.
To get to the semi-finals, with 14 players on the squad list at times, is a big deal. To get to the semi-finals, by beating Egyptian club Pyramids, is a big deal. And this is why we should be making noise about what this club has achieved.
We should not wait for them to win the competition to start making the noise that they deserve to be getting.
I understand that football is a game of rivalries, and supporters of other clubs might not necessarily care about what Gallants are doing. After all, you are not likely to see Barcelona supporters sending messages of support to Real Madrid for reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. But things are a little different in South Africa. Clubs like Gallants are new and their following is little.
What we can't deny, though, is that this is a big achievement and every bit of support they get will spur them on to the biggest success in their short history.
Their semi-final clash against Tanzanian giants Young Africans will be difficult, but Gallants have shown that they are not fazed by any challenge in the competition. They certainly have what it takes to go all the way. It's been a fairytale journey and I've got my fingers crossed that it does not end in the semi-finals.
We need some more positive stories to tell about South African football and this is definitely one of them, especially because it does not involve one of the big three clubs in the country.
