Despite suffering a cup knockout to Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday, Marumo Gallants coach Dan Malesela has identified ample improvement in the overall performance of the PSL’s new boys in town. 

On Sunday, Gallants were sent packing from the Carling Knockout Cup after a 2-0 defeat to Sundowns in the semifinals of South Africa’s topflight league cup. 

However, Malesela’s troops demonstrated a rather confident attitude in their efforts on the field, taking the game to Sundowns and not affording the Brazilians the respect they so often receive when playing less prominent sides in the PSL. 

Despite the loss, the main gaffer expressed pleasure with regard to his players’ efforts on the field, lauding their progress in what he described as an unfinished project.

“I am quite grateful to the players, especially about what they are doing and how they are responding to coaching. You know, it’s not a finished product but I am grateful for that and I am also grateful for the energy that they put in the game. You can not just sit and not be grateful for those things,” praised Malesela. 

Upon their return to topflight football through the acquisition of Swallows FC’s PSL status, the Free State side has already achieved an impressive feat, reaching the Carling Knockout Cup semi-finals and edging the defending champions, Stellenbosch in the process.

However, it has not been all rosy in their league run, as they currently sit in 14^th place with four points in six games. In defiance of their poor league run, the former TS Galaxy manager maintains that there has been a lot of improvement in the club’s performances. 

“Maybe the 4-0 [loss to Sundowns] helped us, to analyse and say we don’t want five. But on a serious note, what is pleasing is the progress that we seem to be making. It doesn’t only start from this match. Since we played Stellenbosch in the league match and then there’s the cup match,” he asserted.

The 57-year-old further expanded on his improvement attributing it to coaching changes from his technical team.

“We started having a different approach in terms of our coaching and the players response and all of that and it’s slowly beginning to yield results. It’s beginning to show that there is something we are doing well,” explained the former Baroka FC coach.

Gallants now go into the international break with an opportunity to reflect on what is perhaps their most important objective, which is retaining their Betway Premiership status as they currently sit in the relegation zone.