When the history of the Nedbank Cup is written, there should be a special chapter for coach Dan Malesela, who has reached remarkable heights in the competition … and the best may be yet to come.
Malesela has lost just three of the 22 Nedbank Cup games he has taken charge of as a coach, all with what would be considered unfancied sides.
He has coached in four semifinals, and missed out on the chance to make it five when he left Chippa United having guided the team to that stage in 2021. Had they retained his services, they might well have gone on to win the competition last season.
It all started for the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates defender with second-tier United FC in the 2013 competition.
He took them all the way to the semifinals that season, where they ultimately lost 2-1 to Kaizer Chiefs, paying the price for a nervous start to the game. Once they found their feet they were more than a match for the AmaKhosi.
He also took Chippa United to the semifinals in 2017, where they went out on penalties following a 0-0 draw with SuperSport United.
And then came his crowning achievement, leading second-tier TS Galaxy to the title in 2019 and gaining revenge over Chiefs with a 1-0 victory in the final in Durban.Galaxy were the first team from outside of the topflight to lift the trophy and it will forever be one of the great coaching achievements in South African football.
That form in the competition has continued, he led Chippa to the semifinals last year but left the club after their quarterfinal win over Richards Bay, and has won the four ties he has led Marumo Gallants in this season – a 2-0 victory over third-tier Santos and then a 1-1 draw with Pirates that ended with Malesela’s side triumphing on penalties.
They edged Limpopo rivals Baroka FC 1-0 in the quarterfinals and defeated second-tier TTM by the same scoreline in Thohoyandou in the semifinals, setting up a mouth-watering decider against his former club Sundowns.
Of course, he was a star player at Chloorkop as an uncompromising defender and later coached in the junior ranks at the club, so has a long history with the Brazilians.
That includes winning the forerunner to the Nedbank Cup, known as the Bob Save Super Bowl with Sundowns in 1998 as they beat his former side Orlando Pirates in the decider.
No coach goes through his career without set-backs and he has had a few in the Nedbank Cup.
The 3-2 loss to then second-tier Baroka FC with Chippa United in the first round in 2016 was not a good moment, nor was the 3-0 loss to Chippa at the same stage with his defending champions TS Galaxy in 2020.
The only other match he has lost outright was that semifinal against Chiefs back in 2013.
Few coaches can lay claim to having such an incredible record in the competition in recent years, especially among those who have not coached the so-called ‘Big Three’.