Mohafe targets growth and cup glory after swapping Polokwane City for Marumo Gallants

Phuti Mohafe says a desire to push himself out of his “comfortable” environment and test his limits in cup competitions convinced him to leave Polokwane City and take charge of Marumo Gallants ahead of the new season.

The new Marumo Gallants head coach walked away from a stable project at Polokwane City, where he had steered Rise and Shine to a top-eight finish last term, to lead Bahlabane ba Ntwa as they rebuild from a difficult campaign.

Gallants ended last season in 14th place, and Mohafe told reporters that the chance to drive improvement at a club with a strong reputation in knockout football was central to his decision.

“I think it’s comfortable. When you become comfortable in a zone then you lose character. And what inspired me to come to Marumo is just the growth, to see how far I can take the team,” he said at a press conference where Gallants unveiled a raft of new signings and outlined their plans for the campaign.

“To see my level of growth, coming to Marumo to improve them. To empower them from the position that they were the previous season [14th].”

Cup pedigree a key attraction

Mohafe underlined Gallants’ recent history in domestic cups and on the continent as a major pull factor, saying he wants to measure himself and his squad in those high-pressure environments.

“Also bearing in mind that Marumo is a team that has been doing well in cup matches. So it is another thing that inspired me to come. Marumo is a team that has played in the Caf Confederation Cup, so I want to see myself there.

“They are a team that has been going into cup finals. I want to see myself there. That’s what inspired the team, the character of them playing in cup matches.”

Gallants have built a reputation for punching above their league position in knockout competitions, including a run in the Caf Confederation Cup, and Mohafe is keen to ensure those performances are matched by greater consistency in the league.

Sundowns postponement frustrates Mohafe

Gallants had been due to launch their league campaign with a daunting away fixture against champions Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday, a test Mohafe was eager to use as an early benchmark for his side’s progress.

The match has been postponed to later in August because Sundowns, nicknamed Masandawana, are in Austria for their pre-season preparations. Mohafe admitted he was disappointed to lose what he felt would have been a valuable early examination.

“I think we should have played the match because it was a good test for the club,” he said.

“But now going to play with the team that has been promoted, the mentality is going to change from the players, and now we have to reset the mentality to say ‘we need to see the very same character that you were going to show against Sundowns’.

“Sundowns is a big team that you have to test your character with to set the standard. I think with the match not being played, it takes us a step back.”

New-look Gallants set for Kruger United opener

Instead of facing Sundowns, Gallants will now begin their season on 11 August, when they meet Kruger United, who have been promoted, at Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

Mohafe suggested that maintaining intensity and focus against a less illustrious opponent than Sundowns will be one of his first psychological challenges as head coach, insisting he wants his players to show the same “character” regardless of the opposition.

To support that ambition, Gallants have carried out a major overhaul of their squad, announcing 13 new signings ahead of the season. The recruits were presented alongside Mohafe at the club’s media briefing, signalling a fresh start after last year’s struggles.

While the coach did not disclose further details about the individuals brought in, the scale of the rebuild underlines Gallants’ intent to move away from the lower reaches of the table and re-establish themselves as both a competitive league side and a force in cup competitions.

For Mohafe, the move from Polokwane City to Gallants is both a personal and professional step into the unknown – and, as he made clear, that is exactly what he was looking for.