“We Closed The Case”: How The FIFA Break Saved Galaxy After Pirates Humiliation

TS Galaxy coach Adnan Beganovic believes the recent FIFA international break came at the perfect time, allowing his side to recover and regroup after a humiliating 6-0 home defeat to Orlando Pirates as they shift focus to the Nedbank Cup.

The Rockets are now preparing for their Nedbank Cup semi-final against Motsepe Foundation Championship side Milford on Sunday, aiming to reset and chase another historic achievement.

Galaxy famously lifted this prestigious trophy in 2019, defeating Kaizer Chiefs while still competing in the lower division, becoming the first team globally to win an FA Cup-style competition while playing in the second tier.

Speaking ahead of the semi-final, the Bosnian mentor reflected on the lessons learned from that heavy defeat.

“I think the FIFA break helped us a lot because it came at the right time for us after that tough game,” he said.

“It is difficult to explain how we conceded those goals and how we struggled in that match. It is something that has happened once in two years, but games like that do occur.

“We tried to give the players some rest and support them after such a big loss. We also held meetings to analyse everything that happened in that game against Pirates.

“I believe we analysed it properly, explained it to the players, and then decided to close that chapter and focus on what lies ahead.

“We had open and honest conversations with the players, trying to understand why something like that happened.

“We also emphasised that we cannot allow such performances in the future because we are a professional club with professional players, and we have shown many times that we are a good team.”

With lessons learned and focus restored, Galaxy will look to use the momentum from the international break to push for a second Nedbank Cup triumph and replicate their historic 2019 success.