Marumo Gallants consider Dimitar Pantev as pressure grows on Phuti Mohafe

Marumo Gallants are considering Bulgarian coach Dimitar Pantev as a possible replacement for head coach Phuti Mohafe, according to sources close to the former Simba SC tactician.

Gallants’ difficult start to the 2026/27 Betway Premiership season has increased scrutiny behind the scenes, with the club still without a league victory after five matches. They have collected only two points from a possible 15, drawing twice and losing three times, leaving them close to the bottom of the table.

The results have placed renewed pressure on the club’s leadership only a few months after Gallants began a major overhaul of their technical and football structures.

Pantev has held informal discussions about the vacancy and a possible move to the Gallants dugout, the sources said. However, there has been no public confirmation of formal contact between the club and the coach.

Should the discussions develop into a formal approach, Pantev would take charge of a side seeking both greater stability and an improvement in results.

Gallants’ latest difficulties have revived concerns over another unsettled start to a season. The club, known as Bahlabane Ba Ntwa, had hoped a significant off-season restructuring would produce a different outcome this time.

Mohafe was appointed head coach after leaving Polokwane City, while the club also refreshed his backroom team. Gallants further appointed former SuperSport United official Paul Matthews as sporting director, with the intention of bringing greater structure and professionalism to the football department.

That rebuilding programme has already suffered a setback. Matthews has resigned from his position, creating a vacancy at the centre of the club’s football decision-making process just months after his arrival.

His departure has come at a particularly difficult moment, with Gallants struggling to convert their restructuring into positive results on the pitch.

The club has shown in recent seasons that it is prepared to make changes in the dugout when performances fail to improve, having gone through several head coaches. It is not yet known whether Mohafe will be given more time or whether Gallants will decide to make another change.

The emergence of Pantev’s name suggests the board is examining its options, although no decision has been announced.

The international break provides Gallants with a natural opportunity to review their coaching arrangements before the Betway Premiership resumes. At present, the club has not issued an official statement on Pantev, Mohafe’s position or the search for a successor to Matthews as sporting director.

Gallants’ next decision could shape the direction of a rebuild that has encountered problems far earlier than expected. The club’s winless league record, the resignation of its sporting director and the reported discussions involving Pantev have combined to increase uncertainty around the team’s leadership.

The situation remains developing, with further updates expected as more information becomes available.

By Lorenz Kohler.