Gallants Coach Dan Malesela Fires Shots, Says a Season Without a Trophy Is Wasted After Eliminating Pirates

• Marumo Gallants coach Dan Malesela made a thinly veiled dig at failing so-called giants after last night's victory over Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup
• Malesela said that finishing a season without a trophy was a wasted one no matter how one looks at things
• Bahlabane Ba Ntwa are the defending champions of the competition, while also condemning the Buccaneers, like their trophy dry Soweto rivals, to another cup-less campaign

Marumo Gallants mentor Dan Malesela said that a campaign without silverware was a wasted one.

Bahlabane Ba Ntwa ensured that their Nedbank Cup title defence reached at least the quarterfinals after knocking out 2014 winners Orlando Pirates. Notably, this victory ensured that the Buccaneers and Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs go another season cup-less.

According to Soccer Laduma, Malesela said to SuperSport:

"Very difficult but I think the people at home are pleased with what they saw, I mean very entertaining you know, it could've gone either way. We could have lost, they could have won during normal time, they had a lot of chances, we had our fair share of chances but fewer than them because they had more chances to be honest.

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Football

"That's football, cup matches, cup matches does not allow space for mistakes, it doesn't allow space for not taking chances and stuff like that. In the end long game, very interesting, I'm happy that in the end we won. I'm very happy with the goalkeeper being brave because he was not in the plans for the penalty kicks.

"Maybe he felt [don't mess up my job], let me fix it but very appreciative of the effort the boys have put in, the character, we always pride ourselves that we must not lose at home. We have adopted that and if we go on like this it will work well for us.

Since the resumption of league football, Bahlabane Ba Ntwa are on a five-match winning streak that has seen them brush aside Santos 2-0, Chippa United 3-2, Baroka FC 3-0 and Stellenbosch Football Club 1-0. This hot run of form was capped off satisfyingly with the scalp of an off-form Buccaneers.

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Football

Nedbank Cup report: Penalties rule the day as Marumo Gallants eliminate Orlando Pirates in tense Last 16 match

Marumo Gallants joined Mamelodi Sundowns in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Nedbank Cup.

As reported on Sports Brief, this is after they defeated these Orlando Pirates 5-4 in a penalty shootout. The match had ended 1-1 after extra time.

The match was a classic knockout encounter as both teams went for the jugular from the get-go.