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TS Galaxy head coach Adnan Beganovic says hosting Mamelodi Sundowns in KwaMhlanga was not intended to disrupt the opposition, but rather to give local supporters an opportunity to witness top-level knockout football.
The Solomon Mahlangu Stadium was packed to capacity as Galaxy knocked the Brazilians out of the Nedbank Cup in front of an energetic home crowd.
Beganovic maintains his team earned the 2-0 victory on merit after sticking to their tactical approach for the duration of the match.
"It was not my choice to bring Sundowns here. I feel it is important for TS Galaxy to give back to this region and the beautiful fans by bringing a big Nedbank Cup match to this area.
"We deserved to win and to go through and I hope that we can play another match here in the Nedbank Cup."
Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso made ten changes to the starting line-up that faced Orlando Pirates in league action earlier in the week.
Beganovic admits he expected a few adjustments and was surprised by the scale of the rotation made to the squad.
He says although the Chloorkop-based side has quality and depth, making numerous changes at once can affect cohesion within the team.
"We realised we could press a little bit more because of all their changes, especially the goalkeeper, who is not as good as Williams with his feet.
"When I saw their starting lineup, I decided to move to a middle-block in order to start a high press sometimes."
Moments before kick-off, Galaxy confirmed the signings of midfielders Tshepo Kakora and Sphamandla Ngwenya, along with goalkeeper Melusi Mathebula, following the lifting of the club’s FIFA transfer ban, with all three included in the matchday squad.
Kakora joins after his stint with Magesi FC and The Rockets coach says he is a quality box-to-box midfielder.
The Bosnian mentor, when speaking about 19-year-old Ngwenya who scored on debut, highlighted the importance of protecting young players at this level.
"I don't want want to put too much pressure on the young players. Yes, Ngwenya shined today by scoring against one of the biggest clubs in the country, but we need to manage him and all the other young players."
