He may have lost the Nedbank Cup final to Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday, but Marumo Gallants coach Dan Malesela is satisfied with the performance of his players.

Gallants put in a good shift against a Sundowns side and the match could have gone either way before Thapelo Morena scored late in extra time to complete the treble this season for Masandawana.

Malesela said there were positives to take out of the game to build for next season.

“I will be very ungrateful if I say it was not good [the season]. Coming from right at the bottom of the league to where we ended up and also being in the final as well. It will be very selfish for me to say something different,” Malesela told the media after the game.

“I’m grateful for that and also grateful for what the players did. It’s the first time ever that I coached a team where it became so easy for me to put in philosophy without any difficulties. With the first week [in charge], I saw the signs and it doesn’t happen often, that’s why when I came in our first game, we won and I’m very grateful to the players.”

With most of their key players expected to leave, Malesela said they would try to keep most of them as the continuity for next season is vital.

“A lot of players are still contracted to the club and nothing concrete has been tabled for any particular player. There are few whose contracts are coming to an end like Miguel Timm. His contract is coming. But we are trying to keep everybody. It will probably be difficult even if people are contracted, we are trying to keep them. It makes the coaching and progress easy.

“You really don’t have to start afresh in terms of trying to keep the philosophy, but as I said, you will never know. If we can keep the majority of the players, then we are one step ahead of a lot of things. Where I have always been when you are coaching clubs with limited resources, you must just cross your fingers and hope that you don’t lose players.”