In the Revolving Column this week, we hear from Marumo Gallants striker Ranga Chivaviro.
On their come-from-behind CAF Confederation Cup win over Lupopo
This past weekend, we had a great win against St Eloi Lupopo at home in the CAF Confederation Cup. It was not easy, but we are all happy that we won at the end. The results also means that we have also won our group and that gives us a slight advantage heading to the quarterfinals. We will play the first leg of the quarterfinal away from home and the second leg at home. This is a first time for many of us to have this experience, especially myself, getting into this stage of a prestigious tournament. At this point, we are all happy and going with the flow. We just want to see how far we can go. But despite the results, I can tell you now that there are no easy games in this competition. We try to apply the same basics that we apply in domestic football – we take it one game at a time, with the same mentality, to always want to win. But sometimes things don't always go according to plan. For example, this past weekend we conceded two goals, but until the final whistle was blown, we had the belief that we could still get something out of the game. It's a mentality that we all have, that never-say-die attitude. We kept on fighting for 90 minutes. After I came on as a substitute, I got the ball on the left, went inside and hit a long-range shot into the back of the net to make the score 2-2. We scored the third goal and managed to get the win and three points. That goal is something that I always try to score in every training session when I'm given space and time on the ball. If I'm within shooting range, I always try to find the corners of the goalposts because those shots are difficult for any goalkeeper save. I work on taking those shots day in and day out and I was very pleased that it went in. When the substitutes came on, we brought in something different to the game, we brought in a different energy because we started the game with one striker and finished with two. It was a different ball game for them and that opened doors for us to get goals.
On the earlier rounds of the competition
We played a tough match at home against USM Alger of Alegria – that is one game that we needed to win to be guaranteed of a place in the quarterfinal. A win was going to give us that breathing space because in the first leg away, it was very difficult, and we ended up winning the home match. But USM Alger is a very good team and with the support that they have in their own backyard, they actually make you feel that you are playing away. The atmosphere in Algeria was world-class and every footballer wants to play in that atmosphere. Their supporters were very supportive to their team and when we had the ball, they tried to be that 12th man for the club. Their tried to discourage us from playing the way we wanted to play. But just overall, our performance has been good in this tournament. I have also managed to score five goals so far and credit must go to my teammates for that. They always try to help me score and find me in the right places at the right time. In return, I make sure that I don't disappoint them. Another challenge is that the Confederation Cup is very physical, unlike our DStv Premiership, and you feel the difference when you play away from home. I enjoy those physical battles, to be honest, because as a footballer you always try to experience all different types of challenges in your career and to triumph over them. That is growth and more experience added to you as a player and your teammates.
On taking the Confederation Cup form to the DStv Premiership
We are currently at the bottom of the DStv Premiership log with seven matches remaining. To survive, we have to go to every game with the mentality of winning. We need to start getting results because the league is the bread and butter of our lives. The mandate is clear in the league, we need to survive. I don't know how, but we need to survive and make sure that the status of the club is safe and next season we are still in the DStv Premiership. Trying to do well in the CAF Confederation Cup and helping my team survive relegation is the biggest challenge I've ever faced in my career, but it's also an experience I want to smile about at the end of the season when we've gone far in the Confed Cup and the team is safe. I want to tell my kids and my grandkids one day about the experience. I want to score more than the 10 goals I have already scored. Every striker wants to score double figures – that is just the baseline. When you reach those figures, it means that you are adding value to your club and to your CV as well. I won't say that I'm happy that I've reached double figures because I know that I could have reached the double figures a couple of games back. I don't want my season to end on ten goals, I still want to score more. I don't even think about being watched by opposition defenders because if I do that, that will make me think about things that will not help me score goals. I always try to think about the positives. If teams are trying to plan around me, there's always someone else I can always lay the ball off to, to score. Maybe in that one game, they will forget me and that will allow me to score one goal. But I will never go there thinking I will be tightly marked because I'm doing well. I don't have that kind of thinking.
