Adnan Beganovic fumes at ‘joke’ football as TS Galaxy pivot to Nedbank Cup

TS Galaxy coach Adnan Beganovic did not hide his frustration with Sekhukhune United’s approach following his side’s 1–0 Betway Premiership defeat on Sunday, as the Mpumalanga outfit now shift their focus to the Nedbank Cup.

The loss marked Galaxy’s second defeat in succession, following their 3–2 setback against AmaZulu, halting their upward momentum and leaving them seventh on the standings as they search for answers ahead of their next league assignment against Durban City.

Before league action resumes, Beganovic will be hoping his side can tick a few important boxes when they face Marumo Gallants in the Nedbank Cup last-32 clash on Sunday.

The fixture carries added significance for Galaxy, who return to the competition that first propelled them into the national spotlight after lifting the trophy in the 2018/19 season — a run memorably capped by a famous 1-0 victory over Kaizer Chiefs in the final.

While progress in the cup will be vital, Beganovic would have preferred to head into the encounter with winning momentum. Reflecting on the narrow defeat to Babina Noko, the Bosnian mentor was particularly unimpressed with the manner in which Sekhukhune approached the match.

“I thought the better team lost today because our quality could be seen, and we pushed Sekhukhune into a low block,” Beganovic told SuperSport after the match.

“They defended throughout the game — it was like a joke to play against the type of football they played. I am not happy at all. They came here to waste time and then scored from our mistake when the goalkeeper came out and missed the ball.”

With both teams fully aware of what was at stake, tensions ran high throughout the contest. Bradley Grobler’s first-half strike proved decisive in a match of significant importance in the context of the league standings.

The intensity was further underlined when both Grobler and Sphesihle Maduna were shown red cards following an altercation, adding another dramatic layer to an already heated encounter.

Despite Galaxy’s failure to convert their chances, Beganovic remained encouraged by his side’s performance and commitment to the game plan.

“For 60 minutes we pressed and tried to attack with a lot of rotations inside. We looked for space, wanted to finish actions with numbers in the box and created opportunities, but we missed them,” he said.

“I am proud of how my players played. The game plan did not bring the result today, but even if the result is not there now, it will come.”