Chippa United’s shaky start to the Betway Premiership season is not surprising, considering the chopping and changing of coaches at the beleaguered club.
After five matches, the Gqeberha side are bottom of the log and facing another tough battle to avoid relegation.
Their latest loss was a sobering 3-0 defeat against Orlando Pirates at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, which highlighted the challenges facing them.
A raft of early season coaching appointments has not given the players the stable platform they need to go about their business with confidence.
Though the season is in its infancy, Chippa are facing a must-win game against fellow strugglers Orbit College, who won promotion to the Premiership through the PSL promotion/relegation playoffs.
The showdown between the league’s bottom feeders, on September 16 at the Buffalo City Stadium in East London, will be a six-pointer for both sides as they bid to claw their way off the foot of the log.
New Chippa United head coach Luc Eymael says he will use the international break to work on the team’s mental fortitude.
Chippa fans are hoping Eymael, unlike his predecessors, is given enough time to stamp his authority at the club.
Ahead of the Belgian’s arrival, Morgan Mamilla was entrusted to guide the team’s fortunes in a caretaker role after the departure of Musa Nyatama and Sinethemba Badela.
Mammila said the club’s owner Siviwe Mpengesi knew what he was doing when he made changes to the coaching staff.
In a frenzied start to the season, Eymael stepped into the hot seat once his work permit application was approved ahead of the Pirates clash.
Ahead of his permit being granted, Eymael had been working with the team behind closed doors and said the team was far from where he wanted it to be.
Eymael says winning is a culture, and if Chippa can manage a top eight finish it would be a sign of big improvement at the club.
The new coach has taken on one of the toughest jobs in SA soccer and will need Mpengesi’s full backing
If this fails to happen, Chippa’s downward spiral will continue, with relegation the inevitable end product.
The Herald
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