Eric Tinkler's Sekhukhune United face must-win mission against resurgent TS Galaxy

Sekhukhune United’s promising start to the season has gradually given way to growing concern, with Babina Noko heading into Sunday’s Betway Premiership clash against TS Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium in desperate need of a change in momentum.

The Limpopo outfit burst out of the blocks early in the campaign, with their strong run of results briefly placing them among the league’s potential title challengers. However, that window is beginning to close rapidly, and unless they can rediscover their form against the Rockets, their ambitions could soon shift from chasing honours to simply steadying the ship.

Despite boasting a squad packed with quality after being active in recent transfer windows, Eric Tinkler’s side has struggled to strike the right balance between performance and results. Consistency has proven elusive, making it increasingly difficult for them to keep pace with the league’s frontrunners.

They now face a TS Galaxy side enjoying an upward curve after a challenging start to the season, having steadily gathered momentum — adding further significance to Sunday’s encounter.

Separated by just two points on the log, the fixture highlights how Babina Noko’s early-season promise has stalled as the campaign approached the halfway mark.

The clash carries real consequence — failure to get a positive result could see Sekhukhune slip further down the standings and potentially be leapfrogged by Galaxy.

With the race for the top three intensifying in what is shaping up to be one of the tightest league battles in recent seasons, Tinkler’s side’s hopes of returning to continental football hang in the balance. Those ambitions have been undermined by worrying form, with just one win from their last nine matches.

Since the resumption of the season following the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations break, Tinkler’s men have faced a demanding run against last season’s top-three finishers — Stellenbosch FC, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns — managing to collect only a single point from those encounters.

Sunday’s fixture is therefore viewed as a must-win opportunity to restore belief and momentum. “The game against Galaxy will be very important because we have come off a very rough week with three games in seven days,” Tinkler said. “It has been about recovery and getting the players back to normality to get over the period we have just gone through.”

Goals have also been in short supply, with Sekhukhune managing just four in their last nine matches. Tinkler admitted their lack of cutting edge remains a concern, pointing to missed opportunities — particularly against Sundowns — where fine margins proved decisive.

“It is a worrying situation, but we had chances against Sundowns. We had opportunities where (Sikhosonke) Langa could have scored on the transition and two more chances. Had we taken those, it would have been a different story.”

With the exception of a return leg against Sundowns in early March, Sekhukhune are set to face teams from the bottom half and midfield of the table — a run of fixtures they will view as an opportunity to relaunch their campaign and build much-needed consistency, starting with Sunday’s trip to Mbombela.