Marumo Gallants unveiled their new coach and the club’s latest signings ahead of the new season.
Bahalabane ba Ntwa announced 24-year-old Sam Nkomo, Koketso More and Lesiba Nku as the players who will add steel to the Limpopo side that will also be campaigning in the CAF Confederations Cup next season.
This after they reached the finals of the Nedbank Cup where they agonisingly lost 1-0 to Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
Club chairman Abram Sello also officially welcomed new coach, 31-year-old Romain Folz on board. It remains to be seen if the young coach will stand the test of time in South African football circles.
The club technical director Harris “TV4” Choeu said they were happy that they did not lose many key players during the off-season.
“We managed to keep 80% of our players. Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo is staying with us. We are not going to take a lot of rejects from other teams,” said Choeu.
“We signed players that we needed in key positions, plus these players have been training with us for some time. We will need to be stronger when we go to Africa in the Confederations Cup again next season. But we are still working on getting new players as time goes.”
Sello said the new coach has big shoes to fill.
“The coach has a big job ahead of him if we look at the way the club participated last season. In the first season, we finished number 12, and the last term we were tenth,” said Sello.
“So, how about a top finish next season? We have proven that we can stand challenges when things are tough. We managed to keep the bulk of our team and we are reinforcing for next season.”
Folz was born in Morocco and his last club was Township Rollers in Botswana. He said age does not bother him.
“I am used to coaching older players. Age is not a problem and there is no special treatment,” said the coach.
“It has never been a problem and I am used to being asked the question about age, what is important is: can I deliver? I am here to win all the games. I cannot say where we are going to finish, but winning three points in all the matches is important.”
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