Arubi arrives two hours before match

Washington Arubi arrived in Equatorial Guinea just two hours before a CAF Confederation Cup match on Saturday. His club, Marumo Giants, were beaten 1-2 by Futuro Kings, in the first leg.

They secured an away goal, amid the upheaval leading up to the match, where they travelled with just 13 first team players.

Several squad members were not registered, with others facing passport, and visa complicataions.

With the second leg set for Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday, the Zimbabwe international ‘keeper believes they have enough quality, to progress to the second round.

“The guys pushed though it was a tough game. At least, we managed to score an away goal though we lost,’’ Arubi told the club’s media department.

“That was a good game. “We are already looking forward to the return leg, and I promise we will bounce back.

“The way the guys put in the effort, I’m seeing us going through to the next round. “For now, we are not thinking about the next round.

“We are thinking about the next game, in which we have to bounce back. They are a good side, (but) we will manage to turn the tables and go through.”

Arubi insisted his late arrival didn’t have a negative impact on his performance. He was criticised by coach Sebastian Migne, who believes Arubi conceded a soft goal.

He was with the Zimbabwe Warriors, who played Ethiopia in a 2022 World Cup qualifier, last week. He travelled to Harare before returning to South Africa to connect to Equatorial Guinea.

“It was tough but, at the end of the day, I had to do that (travel) because I’m contracted to the team.

“The club wanted me to be here, so, at least, I managed to get here around 2pm and managed to play at 4pm and I didn’t feel anything, which means mentally and physically I’m always on point,” he said. — The Sowetan Live