Orlando Pirates and Banyana Banyana will fly the flag for South Africa in the return legs of their respective continental competitions.
Pirates host AS Kaloum of Guinea at Bidvest Wits Stadium in the CAF Confederation Cup on Saturday while Banyana face Gabon in the 2016 Olympic Games qualifier at Dobsonville Stadium this afternoon at 3pm.
The Buccaneers have one foot in the group stages courtesy of a 2-0 win in the first, away leg.
Banyana take a 3-2 lead going into their fixture today.
Pirates assistant coach Teboho Moloi has warned his side against complacency.
“I expect them [Kaloum] to be adventurous and take the game to us, and to try to reverse the score. But we must stick to our game plan and take command of the game from the onset. Then half the battle will be won,” said Moloi, adding he was happy with the return of striker Lennox Bacela, who missed the away leg.
Thamsanqa Gabuza did the job in Bacela’s absence after getting a rare start. He capped it with a goal.
“We want to give our supporters an early Christmas present by going all the way to the final and winning it. We did not win anything this season and this is the only trophy we don’t have in our cabinet,” said Moloi.
Meanwhile, the spotlight at Dobsonville will be on the duo of Sanah Mollo and Jermaine Seoposenwe, who are both in form and expected to finish the job at home.
The two players have raised their hands as the newest source of goals now that the team’s all-time leading striker, Portia Modise, is retired.
Both women scored in the first leg, Seoposenwe twice.
“Portia was an important player because she was a great leader. No one can say they can fill her shoes. Instead, we are doing everything we learnt from her,” said Mollo, who scored three goals in as many games.
Banyana coach Vera Pauw said: “We just have to control the game. We have to qualify.”
Should Banyana advance, they will face the winner of the Kenya-Botswana game in the third round