Marumo Gallants head coach Dan Malesela says he's blown away by the improvement his team has made after a 2-0 loss to Mamelodi Sundowns in the Carling Knockout semi-finals.
Gallants gave Sundowns a run for their money, as the game went to the break goalless before Lucas Ribeiro broke the deadlock early in the second stanza from the penalty spot.
Neo Maema only sealed the win for The Brazilians in added time, as the Limpopo outfit crashed out.
READ | Sundowns book Carling Knockout final spot
"I wish the results could have been different but what can you do? You can only be grateful and can only appreciate these kids and what they do, the efforts they make," Malesela said on SuperSport TV.
"We're only a few months old and already the signs are very good and I'm hoping they can grow. The confidence can grow, they can take something out of these games.
"Some of these kids I look at the beginning, and [asked myself] 'Will this one make it?' And now I'm eating humble pie and they've proven me wrong in so many ways and I'm happy for them," Malesela said.
"I wish this was different with all these supporters but I think this is a sign of appreciation towards what these kids are doing. In a different day maybe we would've been lucky, we could have converted maybe but it wasn't to be."
After an impressive showing against Sundowns, Siwelele Sa Marumo will shift their focus to improving their league form, lying 14th on the log.
"That's the pressure we've put ourselves under now you know but I think if we grow from here, we take anything from here, it will just mean great things going forward," the former Sundowns and Orlando Pirates captain added.