TS Galaxy defender Sizwe Mdlinzo says they never once doubted their ability to beat Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup final over the weekend.
The National First Division club caused one of the biggest upsets in South African Cup football history when they stunned Amakhosi 1-0 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday.
In front of nearly 50 000 fans, they matched the Soweto giants toe-to-toe and were rewarded when star player Zakhele Lepasa slotted home a stoppage time penalty.
Mdlinzo says they were confident from way before the final over their prospects.
Galaxy’s success in the cup will undoubtedly go down in the tales of folklore.
Never before had a team from outside the top tier won the competition. Never before had a team made up solely of South Africans won the competition. Mdlinzo says that the dream was made possible by the expertise of coach Dan Malesela and a determined group of players.
The win handed coach Malesela his first major trophy as a coach. He had previously reached two Nedbank Cup semi-finals, but there was no stopping his time, even the mighty Chiefs could not.
Mdlinzo himself has been playing under the former Orlando Pirates star for a number of years now.
He was coached by Malesela at Cape Town All Stars and then at Chippa United, before reuniting at Galaxy.
After winning the competition, the 27-year-old says he rated this season as his best ever, even though the Mpumalanga club only finished eighth in the league.
Mdlinzo was one of Galaxy’s most influential players this past season. He started 26 out of 30 matches in the NFD, while in the cup he was in the first XI for all six games, scoring two goals.
He believes the future is bright for himself, adding that he has learnt a lot from having played in the Premiership and then having to drop down to the NFD.
A number of Galaxy players have already caught the attention of the Premiership scouts, with Mdlinzo no different. He says that that he would fancy a move to SuperSport United, but added that no offers had yet been tabled for his services. – Report by Thahir Asmal
