Da Gama says The Rockets will fire on blood, sweat and spirit

TS Galaxy will kick off the 2021/22 DStv Premiership season against Kaizer Chiefs at Mbombela Stadium on Sunday August 22.

In the final match weekend last season, TS Galaxy hosted Kaizer Chiefs. At stake was eighth place on the final log table and qualification to the MTN8 in the 2021/22 season.

A 26th-minute goal from Samir Nurkovic earned Amakhosi a 1-0 victory, which pushed The Rockets down to ninth place.

On Sunday, Kaizer Chiefs beat Orlando Pirates on penalties to claim the Carling Black Label Cup.

Owen Da Gama, the coach of TS Galaxy, is excited about his charges’ test against Chiefs.

“It will give us an indication as to how far we are going. It’s only our second season in the PSL. Kaizer Chiefs are a solid team that has been around for many years. They are a quality team,” Da Gama told Lowvelder on Monday.

He believes the positive culture built in their first season in the DStv Premiership will stand them in good stead this coming season.

“Team spirit is the foundation of TS Galaxy – team spirit, family spirit; we are a family here. Two teams merged (TS Galaxy and Highlands Park). One had the notion that this is Highlands Park or it’s TS Galaxy. But we quickly squashed that notion. Everyone understands that this is one team. The team spirit has gone to a very high level.”

The Rockets will, like last season, utilise Mbombela Stadium for their home matches.

“We love Mbombela Stadium. We cannot wait for the day there are supporters at matches. We know we will fill the stadium. It’s our home.”

The coach admitted that TS Galaxy face a tough 2021/22 PSL season.

“The second season for any team is much harder than the first. Our opponents now understand what TS Galaxy is about. They have a good indication what we are capable of. It’s gong to be very hard for us. The fixture list is very tight. We are a young team. We will give it our best shot,” concluded Da Gama.

TS Galaxy 2021/22 fixtures
2021
• August 22: vs Kaizer Chiefs (home)
• August 25: vs Stellenbosch FC (away)
• September 11: vs Lamontville Golden Arrows (home)
• September 19: vs Mamelodi Sundowns (away)
• September 26: vs Bloemfontein Celtic (away)
• October 2: vs Sekhukhune United (home)
• October 17: vs AmaZulu (home)
• October 23: vs Maritzburg United (away)
• November 2: vs Boroka FC (home)
• November 5: vs SuperSport United (away)
• November 21: vs Moroka Swallows (home)
• November 27: vs Cape Town City (home)
• December 4: vs TTM (away)
• December 7: vs Chippa United (home)
• December 11: vs Orlando Pirates (away)
• December 18: vs Lamontville Golden Arrows (away)
• December 22: vs Stellenbosch FC (home).
2022
• February 16: vs AmaZulu (away)
• February 20: vs Moroka Swallows (away)
• February 27: vs Mamelodi Sundowns (home)
• March 5: vs Baroka FC (away)
• March 19: vs SuperSport United (home)
• April 2: vs Bloemfontein Celtic (home)
• April 5: vs Kaizer Chiefs (away)
• April 16: vs Sekukhune United (away)
• April 23: vs Maritzburg United (home)
• May 3: vs Orlando Pirates (home)
• May 7: vs Cape Town City (away)
• May 14: vs TTM (home)
• May 21: vs Chippa United (away).