Does Sead have what it takes to save TS Galaxy?

TS Galaxy, having been campaigning in the top tier soccer league in the country since 2020, have had major changes, from the squad to the technical team.
In 2021, the team went without victory when they decided to sack Owen da Gama, who was replaced by the German football manager Sead Ramovic.

The new coach came with vast experience. He boasts a UEFA Pro Licence and is a former net minder who played at the highest level for 13 years.
He had stints with clubs like Wolfsburg and Borrusia M’gladbach in Germany, and also played for Lillestroom in Norway.
Ramovic did well to lead the team to safety in the top division at the culmination of the 2021/22 season after joining the organisation in October 2021, when they were suffering at the bottom of the DStv Premiership.

In this new 2022/23 season, Galaxy started like a house on fire, beating Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. Then on August 14, they went on to defeat SuperSport United 2-0 on home soil at Mbombela Stadium.
Since this match, Galaxy registered two losses at the hands of Cape Town City and Gallants respectively. The home team are 12th on the log with 13 points after 12 games.
Mpumalanga News took the liberty to talk to Ramovic about his journey and plans for the Mpumalanga outfits, Galaxy.

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Coach, firstly tell us about how you find South Africa so far and the standard of the football?
“It is a very nice country. The masses are passionate about the game of football. The sky is the limit for South African football. I’m impressed with the level of talent in the country. Obviously there is a room for improvement in terms of fast-tracking young talent, and football techniques are also in dire need for improvement.”

Walk us through your journey with the Rockets since where you found the team to where they currently are. Do you see refinements?
“Yes, there’s been major refinements. When I took over the reins, the club was languishing at the foot of the table. It was conceding goals and there was no proper philosophy of play. It was difficult at the beginning, because I had to find a balance between the style of play, ways to communicate effectively with the players and getting the results. It wasn’t easy, but we managed to steer the club to safety. We are not yet well structured, but we are a team in construction.

We have managed to beat some of the big teams in the South African football and we are heading in the right direction. We are currently out of the danger zone, but that doesn’t mean we should relax. The aim has always been clear: we fight for placing in the top eight. We have improved and we are now one of the best defensive sides in the league with our clean sheets and the number of goals we have conceded.”

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Speaking of goals you conceded, this season your team scored only six and conceded seven in 12 matches.
“We have always had a goal-scoring problem. It is something we are working diligently on changing. The new reinforcements in the attacking department have been making an impact and working hard to achieve their goals.”

Looking at the number of Galaxy players being called up for the senior national team and the Cosafa team, do you think the Rockets are doing justice in terms of football development and producing quality footballers?
“Yes, most definitely. With limited resources, the club has managed to produce talent that attracts national talent. We had Melusi Buthelezi receiving the national call-up after his stellar performances. Ethan Brooks came to the Bafana setup at the age of 19. Macbeth Mahlangu is also the regular feature for Bafana since the age of 21. Aphelele Teto was in the U23 national team.”

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What do you think of the current squad you have?
“It is a talented group of players. They are determined to achieve big things in their careers. In the near future, we will see most of these players in the national team and overseas. This is a special group of players and are working hard to shake the masses in the premier league.”

Tell us about your dreams for the team. Do you think your team has the quality and expertise to challenge for the league or to win a major trophy?
“My dream is to see a competitive TS Galaxy challenging on all fronts. I will be happy to see more players breaking into the national team. Now, we have Bathusi Aubaas and Melusi Buthelezi in the national team. The likes of Given Msimango and Marks Munyai are knocking on the door. In terms of challenging the league, it is always the coach’s dream to win a league, but for us, we are a team in construction and a team with limited resources, which limits our abilities to search the markets for new talent. Keep in mind that quality talent it is also costly. For now we will focus on building and placing in the top eight to enable us to play the domestic cup, the MTN 8.”

This season you have had injuries in your defence department. How are you managing?
“We have lost influential left back and right back. Ebrahim Seedat started very well. For me, he is one of the best left backs in the league. Unfortunately, he got injured at training. I’m hopeful that he will be back in the second half of the season. Marks Munyai is a marvel in the right back, but has also missed out on a lot of action due to his injury, and young talent have been continuing in their defence duties and performing with distinctions.”

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In the upcoming transfer window, which department are you going to strengthen? The attack or defence?
“If there are any good players available in the market and at the right price, we will definitely consider bolstering our squad. You can never say no to good players, and we also depend on the availability of resources.”

Looking at young talent, what has been your assessment of the newly promoted Aphelele Teto and Daniel Daya?
“We are a team that boasts of its culture of nurturing and developing young players. We believe in giving everyone a chance to play, and they have been performing well in the MultiChoice Diski challenge, hence we promoted them to the first team.”