Nqubeko Dlamini and Siyand Mthanti celebrate a goal at the Mpumalanga Stadium
Image: Lamontville Golden Arrows on X
It’s been a chaotic couple of weeks for Golden Arrows. Their last two games against Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United were disrupted, leaving Abafana Bes’thende frustrated and desperate to finally see out 90 minutes of football.
This Saturday, they head to Mbombela Stadium to face TS Galaxy, hungry not just for game time but for three vital points.
The KwaZulu-Natal-based outfit have been a puzzle this season—one moment they’re flying high, the next they’re stumbling. Currently sitting 11th on the log with 20 points, their campaign has been plagued by inconsistency and, at times, instability.
Their away form sums up their season perfectly with their three wins, two draws, and three losses speaking to their unpredictable nature.
Meanwhile, TS Galaxy find themselves in sixth place with 25 points. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance and in the process going on a 13-game unbeaten run but have struggled to maintain consistency.
A quick look at the stats paints the full picture: 20 goals scored, 20 conceded. This is a team that knows how to find the back of the net but struggles to keep things tight at the back.
Their latest result—a crushing loss to Mamelodi Sundowns—was a tough pill to swallow but it was also a reminder of how far they still have to go to compete with the league’s elite.
For Galaxy head coach Adnan Beganović, the focus now is on bouncing back quickly. The Serbian born coach has built his team around solid defensive structures and flexible attacking transitions.
But as disciplined as they are at the back, they’ve been prone to lapses that cost them points. The upcoming clash against a shaky Golden Arrows side is the perfect opportunity to regain momentum and prove they’re genuine top-eight contenders.
The last time these two teams faced off, it ended in a 1-1 draw—a result that showed just how evenly matched they can be. But if history is anything to go by, TS Galaxy holds the upper hand.
In their last five encounters, the Rockets have claimed three victories, while Golden Arrows are yet to taste victory, managing only two draws.
This stat will undoubtedly boost TS Galaxy’s confidence, but football has a way of tearing up the script. Both teams are in desperate need of a win to inject life into their campaigns, and that desperation could make for a closely contested battle.
For TS Galaxy, this is about finding consistency. They’ve shown they can compete with the best, but they need to do it regularly. For Golden Arrows, it’s about regaining rhythm and putting the disruptions of the past two weeks behind them.
With both sides fighting to find their footing, expect a gritty, hard-fought contest at Mbombela Stadium. Three points are on the line, but so is momentum, and neither side can afford to slip up.