Dancing Stars Galaxy ready to snap against CNaPs
Dan Malesela gets his side ready for CNaPS in Confed fixture
● TS Galaxy coach Dan “Dance” Malesela spent just over an hour on Thursday morning at the team’s training fields in Radiokop, west of Johannesburg, standing at the centre of the circle, talking to his players.
It is one aspect of Malesela’s unorthodox coaching and he’s not about to change it any time soon, just as he’s unlikely to let his players train without a ball on their feet.
“In some places you’ll be offered a duck and fish only — as food for the whole week. So you prepare your players and make them mentally aware of what is going to happen,” explains Malesela, referring to some of the challenges his charges might face when playing in the Confederation of African Football (Caf) club competitions.
Malesela had this conversation with his players in light of Galaxy hosting CNaPS Sport of Madagascar in the first leg, first round of the Caf Confederation Cup at the Mbombela Stadium at 3pm today.
Galaxy qualified to participate in the Confed Cup after surprising all and sundry by beating Kaizer Chiefs in the final of last season’s Nedbank Cup, thus becoming SA’s first low-tier club to win a national competition.
“You don’t want to experience shoddy treatment when you go to Madagascar to play them (CNaPS) in the second leg. So you beg the players and management to behave. Also you have to conscientise the players about referees in these competitions,” said Malesela, whose team has already beaten St Louis Suns of Seychelles 1-0 home and away
For me what’s very important is not to concede at home Dan ‘Dance’ Malesela
TS Galaxy coach
to book their place in the first round.
Usually teams campaigning in the top flight of SA football give half-hearted attempts in this competition as they view it as hardly lucrative in terms of incentives compared to the Caf’s Champions League.
Malesela, however, used part of his long team-talk on Thursday morning to tell his players about the greener pastures they could find themselves in if they go as far as the group stages of the competition.
“We’re not really setting any target to say how far we want to go. It will always be good to go all the way. It will be good for the players because they then get to be seen by big scouts from Europe. So, the longer we stay and do well in this competition, the better prospects for everyone really.”
In preparing for the Madagascar team it would have been advisable and expected for Malesela to get video footage of their recent matches, but he opted to go as blindfolded as he did against St Louis in the first round.
“I actually prefer not to,” said Malesela when quizzed about the homework he’s done on CNaPS. “It’s because you never get the same thing. You see them now and the next thing you find a different thing. For me what’s very important is not to concede at home and make sure we go away with a goal or more.”
There will be one more hurdle for Galaxy to jump if they are to make it to the group stages of the Confed Cup should they defeat CNaPS. It is then also that Malesela says he may require the advice of well-travelled Sundowns coach and friend Pitso Mosimane on the kind of opponents they will face.
“I haven’t spoken to Pitso as yet but I may do later,” said Malesela. “As soon as I get frustrated, I will talk to him. We did, however, ask the physical trainer at Sundowns about what they do to speed up their recovery because of the travelling hours. So that communication is important. So as things hot up, I’ll speak to Jingles (Mosimane).”