TS Galaxy have had it tough juggling their league and cup commitments, coach Adnan Beganovic has admitted, but he believes they are on the right path as they seek to achieve in both competitions.
Galaxy are through to the Nedbank Cup semifinal but as they make a bid for a second cup success since their first in 2019, they have also seen their league form dip dramatically.
A 1-1 draw away at Stellenbosch on Friday ended a run of five successive league defeats but with only one point out of a possible 18 from their last six games, they have slipped to eighth spot in the Betway Premiership.
This weekend they have a tough task ahead against title-chasing Orlando Pirates.
“It can be tricky, yes. We could not take the cup games lightly, especially against Marumo Gallants and Sundowns, and also in the other matches. Those games take energy, not only physically but also mentally,” Beganovic explained.
“Game by game, you spend more physical and mental energy, and maybe we did not always have enough time to prepare properly for league matches. But when I analyse everything from the last five league games, I feel we deserved more than the 25 points we have now.
“Against Sekhukhune at home, how many chances did we miss? Against AmaZulu, how many chances did we create when we were leading? Against Orbit College at home as well, we created so many chances and did not take them. So I think we deserved more.
But we also have to understand that it is a tough process and there is hard work behind us. Nothing comes for free.
“Outside people only look at the final result and the points, but we know exactly what we are doing in this club, how we are improving and what style of football we want to play.”
Beganovic, whose team have a home semifinal against Milford next month in the Nedbank Cup, said he felt Galaxy continued to be on the right path.
Last season they finished in fifth place, beating their record high of sixth place in the previous 2023-24 campaign.
For the moment, Beganovic said cup success was a priority.
“In the end, you might need to sacrifice something to reach something bigger. I am ready to sacrifice some points if it means reaching a final and having the chance to fight for a trophy.
“I think it would be beautiful just to play in the (Nedbank Cup) final, and everything is still in our hands. If we keep playing like this, I think we have a very good chance to get there,” he added.