It’s tough for small clubs to fight on all fronts, laments TS Galaxy coach Beganovic

TS Galaxy head coach Adnan Beganovic believes his side’s Carling Knockout Cup elimination to Golden Arrows has highlighted the difficulties smaller clubs face when balancing multiple competitions with limited squad depth as his club battles through administration issues. 

Galaxy were edged out after extra-time at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday, ending their run in the competition at the quarter-final stage. Despite showing promise for much of the encounter, the Rockets could not hold on after taking a first-half lead, allowing Arrows to snatch a 2-1 victory in the dying minutes.

For Beganovic, the result was another harsh reminder of the physical and logistical strain that comes with managing a compact group of players across league and cup fixtures.

“It’s very tricky for the small clubs with small squads like us,” said the Bosnian tactician. “It’s important to understand how difficult it is to play on all fronts with the league and all the domestic cups.”

The Rockets began the campaign severely short-handed, with Beganovic revealing that the club only had 14 registered senior players at the start of the season — forcing him to call on several reserve-team members just to fill the bench.

The Tim Sukazi owned club is also once again in the firing line of Fifa, facing a new transfer ban effective from October 14. This latest sanction has drawn attention to Galaxy’s ongoing struggles with compliance and financial disputes that have repeatedly disrupted their operations in recent seasons.

“Everyone knows we started the season with 14 players and we had to include players from our reserve team,” said Beganovic, after his side's loss in Umlazi. “We only had about two or three subs on the bench — it wasn’t easy.”

Even after Galaxy eventually completed their registrations, Beganovic said the team’s lack of collective fitness and rhythm continued to hold them back.

“Even when we did register players, it’s not easy having to get everyone on the same level in terms of fitness,” he explained. “That’s what we’re trying to work on now.”

With the PSL set to pause for a month-long break during the Africa Cup of Nations in December and January, Beganovic believes the period will come as a much-needed window for recovery and fine-tuning, a process that need to occur without any transfer activity.

“The AFCON break will give us time to reset properly,” he said. “Maybe by then we’ll have everyone in the best shape as a group with the 26 players that we’re working with now.”

Reflecting on Sunday’s loss, Beganovic felt his side competed well but paid the price for brief lapses in concentration.

“We knew how much of a quality team Arrows were and we tried to prepare the best we can,” he said. 

“We played well in the first half but we lost focus and conceded. They scored the winner at the right time for them and we didn’t have time to come back. But if you watch the game, we didn’t deserve to lose.”

Despite the disappointment, Beganovic says Galaxy’s focus will now shift to using the AFCON break to regroup — and return stronger for the league campaign ahead.