TS Galaxy will be hunting for more dominance when they meet Golden Arrows in the quarter-finals of the Carling Knockout at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday (3 pm kick-off).
The Rockets have been on a steady rise since the 2020/21 season, following their acquisition of Highlands Park’s top-flight status. While they are still chasing their first major success in recent years, the quality they’ve brought into the squad over the past few seasons has laid a strong foundation. Now, their focus turns to breaking another barrier and adding silverware to their growing ambition.
A defining moment in the club’s history came in 2019, when a Zakhele Lepasa penalty in added time handed the then-National First Division side a 1-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup final at a packed Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Their time in the Premiership has seen a few near misses, including a recent 5-4 penalty shootout loss to Stellenbosch FC after a 1-1 draw in normal time in the Carling Knockout in 2023. That narrow defeat underlined just how competitive they have become—and how close they are to securing a second major trophy.
Returning to their happy hunting province of KwaZulu-Natal, Galaxy will take confidence from their impressive record against Abafana Bes’thende—they are unbeaten in nine meetings in all competitions. Arrows, meanwhile, come into the clash on the back of a 4-3 loss to Stellies on Wednesday.
Coach Beganovic on FIFA Ban Challenges and Building a Full SquadGalaxy’s rise hasn’t come without challenges. Despite facing another FIFA transfer ban—which could prevent them from signing players for the next three windows—coach Adnan Beganovic remains optimistic about his squad’s potential.
“Pre-season was tough,” Beganovic admitted. “We only had 13 players because of the FIFA ban issues. We couldn’t register new players, and among those 13, three were from our DDC squad.
“We managed to survive because we put everything we had—emotions, knowledge, and attitude—into the work, and the players recognised that and gave even more.”
With a full squad now available, the Bosnian tactician is focused on building consistency and pushing for further improvement as the season progresses.
“The situation is better now. We have 26 players in training, plus three goalkeepers, and we’ve also brought in a young keeper to join our sessions. Now we can start building the team properly, the way we want it,” he explained.
“I think that by January, when we have a proper pre-season with everyone available, we can play much better than in the first half of the season. For now, I’m happy with how we look and how we play. We understand our vision, and we just need to stay on that path.”
Galaxy will face Arrows for the first time since last season’s league encounter, which saw Beganovic’s side secure a 2-0 victory. But with the added pressure of a knockout fixture, the Bosnian coach will be hoping his players can look past their off-field challenges and mount another strong challenge against a strong Arrows outfit.
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