Mohafe sees progress at Gallants despite winless Betway Premiership start

Marumo Gallants head coach Phuti Mohafe says his side are showing signs of improvement despite beginning the Betway Premiership season without a win.

Gallants suffered their second defeat in three league matches on Wednesday night, losing 2-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld. The result leaves Mohafe’s side with just one goal from their opening three games, with their failure to convert chances emerging as the coach’s main concern.

Mohafe believes Gallants created enough opportunities to trouble the defending champions, even though they had less possession during the match.

“All I can say is we created goals, but they couldn’t pass the line hence I’ve said what we’re going to do when we have the ball, we got the ball, it’s not going to be a problem, but the problem would be when we have the ball,” Mohafe told SuperSport after the game.

The Gallants coach pointed to several chances from set-pieces, including an effort involving Sikhakhane and two opportunities created by Otladisa. He also highlighted Phillips’ late arrival in the penalty area as another moment when his team could have made more of an opening.

“We had the ball not so much, but we created opportunities, but we still missed the opportunities we had created. There was a other one that I thought it was a goal from Sikhakhane just next to the pole there, it was a set-piece and the other two from the set-piece from Otladisa.

“Phillips arrived late in the box, so I think we created as team that didn’t have much of the ball, but we have to look into our finishing, into our creativity because I think that’s where we are lacking right now.”

Gallants have now scored only once in their first three league fixtures, and Mohafe said the team’s lack of goals was masking some encouraging aspects of their performances.

The defeat came despite their ability to create openings against Mamelodi Sundowns, who had also entered the match looking to recover from a previous setback. Mohafe suggested that a single successful finish could have significantly changed the outcome.

“I think we’re showing the signs of improvement, but the matter with us is not scoring so I don’t think we’re that bad it’s just that we are not scoring if we can score or had scored one maybe, the score could’ve been 2-1 or 2-2.

“But I think we just need to put the ball in the back of the net. We need the luck more than other team, we’re playing a team that’s also in the region of where we are. But I think we just need to focus more and more in scoring,” Mohafe said.

Gallants will therefore turn their attention to improving their creativity and finishing as they look for their first victory of the Betway Premiership campaign.