Marumo Gallants loan Dimakatso Mashao to Leicesterford City in Motsepe Foundation Championship move

Marumo Gallants midfielder Dimakatso Mashao will spend the entire 2026/27 campaign on loan at Motsepe Foundation Championship side Leicesterford City in a bid to secure regular first-team football.

The 25-year-old, who is regarded as a long-term prospect by Gallants, has been sent out for the season to gain the game-time he struggled to secure in the Betway Premiership.

Gallants, nicknamed Bahlabane Ba Ntwa, narrowly avoided relegation last term, finishing 14th in the top-flight. The club is now reshaping its squad under new head coach Phuti Mohafe ahead of a difficult new season.

Loan designed to accelerate Mashao’s development

Mashao, who is primarily deployed as a midfielder, will link up with Leicesterford City in the second tier, with the temporary move understood to be designed explicitly to fast‐track his development through consistent minutes on the pitch.

While Gallants have opted to send him out for the full season, insiders insist the player remains part of the club’s long-term plans and is viewed as a talent they do not want to lose, but also cannot guarantee regular starts to at present.

The loan means Mashao will step down a division, but into an environment where he is expected to feature more prominently than he has done in the Premiership.

New coach Mohafe leads Gallants rebuild

The move comes as Gallants embark on a significant rebuild after a difficult 2025/26 season. The Bloemfontein-based club survived the drop by the narrowest of margins, ending the campaign two places above the relegation zone.

In response, the club has appointed Phuti Mohafe as head coach. Mohafe arrives after leaving Polokwane City and has been tasked with stabilising Gallants and steering them away from another relegation battle.

He will take charge of his first league campaign with Gallants when they open their 2026/27 Betway Premiership season against Stellenbosch FC, a challenging test for a side in transition.

Senior exits force squad reshuffle

Gallants have undergone major changes to their playing personnel, with several high-profile names leaving the club as part of an overhaul.

Veteran Zimbabwean goalkeeper Washington Arubi has departed, alongside experienced defender Lebogang Mabotja and centre-back Katekani Mhlongo. Their exits headline an eight-player release list as Gallants seek to refresh and rebalance the squad.

In a bid to plug the gaps left by those departures, the club is currently assessing a number of trialists in pre-season. Among them is former SuperSport United defender Eric Mbangossoum, who is being closely monitored as Gallants look to strengthen their defensive options.

Balancing survival with future planning

The decision to loan out Mashao while simultaneously bringing in new faces underlines Gallants’ attempt to balance short-term survival with long-term planning.

Avoiding another brush with relegation remains the priority, but ensuring that players like Mashao return next year having gained valuable experience in the Motsepe Foundation Championship could be crucial for the club’s future competitiveness.

Gallants will hope that by the time Mashao returns from his loan at Leicesterford City, both club and player will be in a stronger position than they were at the end of last season.