TS Galaxy early season woes deepen after loss against Durban City

TS Galaxy’s slow start to the season continued as they suffered a confidence-knocking 2-0 loss against newcomers Durban City in their Betway Premiership opener on Sunday at the Mbombela Stadium.

The Rockets endured their second straight defeat, having been beaten 3-2 by Sekhukhune United in their season-opening MTN8 match. That result was particularly painful, as they had led the Limpopo-based outfit 2-0 before conceding three goals.

The Mpumalanga-based side entered their second consecutive match with only five players on the bench, after a number of last season’s squad members departed and the club was reportedly unable to register new players due to a Fifa transfer ban.

With such limited options at his disposal, coach Adnan Beganovic believes some of the mistakes made due to not being fully prepared for the season proved costly and ultimately played them out of the match.

“Two mistakes and two goals today, and with how we conceded, it was tough to come back and do something,” Beganovic said after his side’s loss.

“It’s again young players, and they need time to understand and also get more fitness and the tactical aspect.”

Galaxy are now set to face a rematch with this season’s high-flyers Sekhukhune United — the very team that knocked them out of the MTN8 — in a crucial midweek clash. 

Babina Noko not only beat Galaxy but also went on to claim a statement 1-0 win over league title favourites Orlando Pirates at the Orlando Stadium this past Saturday.

The Rockets, on the other hand, face the danger of repeating the same poor start they endured last season, which saw them stuck at the bottom of the table before the Bosnian mentor took charge from country man Sead Ramovic.

In the 2024/25 campaign, Galaxy managed to take four points off Sekhukhune in their two league meetings, but this time around, Eric Tinkler’s men will head into the encounter full of confidence after their strong early-season form.

Beganovic admitted that his side cannot afford to dwell on their recent setbacks and stressed the need to apply themselves better in their game plans. 

He also expressed hope that some of the club’s new recruits will be available on time to provide more options in what will be a key encounter at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday.

“It’s painful when you lose the first game at home, and we don’t have too much time to cry over it,” Beganovic continued.

“On Wednesday we have another game, and we need to be refreshed and recovered, and I hope that we get the new players that the club is bringing, and we can have a good session, and we have a full squad for the game.

“We train our team to play nice football, but also the opponents have their say, and it’s not easy, but we have to be ready, especially when we play at home. Mostly our opponents sit in the box, and we need to collect second and long balls.

“On Sunday we stayed far away from the opponent, and we couldn’t collect second balls, and just like that, we conceded the second goal. It’s unbelievable how we make mistakes, but again, we need to analyse and fix our mistakes and prepare for the next game.

“We need to push and put everything we have to fix this situation we have and win some points.”