Gallants Team Bus Involved In Accident After Defeat To Arrows
Marumo Gallants’ team bus was involved in an accident near Mangosuthu Technikon in Umlazi after they suffered a heavy 4–0 defeat to Golden Arrows in a Betway Premiership match at King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday.
Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. A Honda sedan that was behind the bus had its bonnet smashed, while a Toyota Corolla following the Honda was also damaged from the front.
Several members of Gallants’ technical and support staff remained at the scene to give statements as police attended to the accident.
The defeat marked Gallants’ fourth away loss of the season, and coach Alexandre Lafitte did not hold back in the dressing room, criticizing his players for what he described as a lack of respect for the game.
“If you don’t respect football, football will not respect you,” said Lafitte after the match.
“We didn’t win our duels, we weren’t aggressive, and it’s important to change that. It was difficult because we didn’t have energy. We travelled yesterday [Saturday to Durban], and we’re playing again on Wednesday [against Durban City at Chatsworth Stadium]. You could see the difference in energy.”
Gallants became the second club this season to be involved in a road accident, following Orlando Pirates, whose team bus was also involved in an incident after their match against Chippa United earlier in the campaign.
However, unlike Gallants, that accident left several Pirates members injured — including coach Abdelsam Ouaddou (right arm), goalkeeper Tyron Damonds (neck), and defender Thapelo Xoki (foot).
Lafitte elaborated on his post-match outburst, saying: “I explained the importance of respecting football. If you don’t respect football, you accept losing. You don’t have the attitude to recover the ball, win duels, or play with maturity.
“When you’re 2–0 down, you can’t play an open game because the opponent will punish you. I told them it’s crucial to change their attitude. We have many young players who lack experience at this level, so changing the mindset is vital.
“If you don’t, and you don’t approach tough games with the right mentality, it becomes very difficult to win.”
Gallants will remain in Durban as they prepare to face Arrows again in the Carling Knockout semi-final at King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday.
