Youngsters will improve - Mathebula

Marumo Gallants' DStv Diski Challenge coach David Mathebula says the youngsters will learn from their recent poor results.

Gallants have struggled to maintain their promising start in the Diski Challenge. This past weekend, they suffered a big 6-0 defeat against title contenders Orlando Pirates.

However, the coach is not worried about the defeat as he believes they will have to learn the hard way at some point. For now, they will pick up the pieces, note the positives and soldier on.

“Look, the challenge in this situation is that you don’t want the players to be affected or influenced in the next game. You want a self-confident team,” Mathebula said, reflecting on that embarrassment.

“You don’t want a team that looks like it’s got heads down. They must understand a game of football is like this, you lose some, you win some, and such defeats build character if they are able to bounce back.”

This coming Sunday, Gallants face another nervy test against log leaders Stellenbosch FC at Idas Valley Stadium.

Kick-off is 10:00 CAT

Mathebula remains confident that they will give Stellies a run for their money. They are not going there to hand them three points.

Stellenbosch dethroned Mamelodi Sundowns from the top of the table, beating them 2-0 last Sunday.

Gallants are aware they will not be an easy opponent but are ready to give their best from the first until the final whistle on the field.

“It is all about looking at the mistakes, find out where did we lose it and work on that to try to improve. A defeat like that is also a learning phase, at some time we will get it right," Mathebula added.

“This is our first full season, and we analyse some of the opponents while playing them. If it was our second season, we would have had an idea and have a good approach for them. But everyone is learning.

“We will try to bounce back, Stellenbosch are a good side, well-structured team. I believe they have the best facilities but we here to compete and develop."#sportsNews