Travelling to East London with his team Chippa United last Saturday invoked a sense of déjà vu for Vladislav Heric as it rekindled memories when he was fired under mysterious circumstances in the province.
Heric led Chippa to a crucial 1-0 win over in- form Free State Stars at a packed Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane.
Although Heric had coached numerous teams, including some in the Eastern Cape, he still has memories of a Daily Dispatch report about his dismissal as then OR Tambo Cosmos coach.
He was then fired for refusing to use muti in the team’s preparations for National First Division (NFD) campaign.
The memory has never been erased from the mind of the Serb coach.
“There are very few newspapers I will never forget and one of them is Daily Dispatch. I will never forget when Dispatch ran a story with a headline ‘Sangoma fires the coach’. I cut it out, framed it and took it back home to Serbia.”
Heric says his family back home could not believe the story.
“To them it was incredible but I know in South Africa it is not something out of the realms of possibility.”
After two games at the helm of Chippa, Heric has now won one and lost one against the same team – Free State Stars.
Stars eliminated Chippa in the Nedbank last 16 but Chilli Boys gained sweet revenge with the victory last weekend. This has taken them to 30 points with six games to go.
While the top eight finish is still possible, Heric says his mandate is to save the team from relegation. And his current boss Siviwe Mpengesi is not forcing him to use muti to achieve that goal.
“Luckily for me the chairman does not believe in those things so there is no muti use at Chippa. So if I get fired it will be because I failed not because the sangoma said so,” he said laughing.
Out of the six games left, two will be at home against fellow strugglers Ajax Cape Town and SuperSport United from which he is hoping to augment the points.
“We are looking to collect only five points and then we will be safe. Then we can begin fighting for the top eight finish.”
It will be the away games which will present a challenge for his rescue mission when Chippa play title chasing candidates Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns.
Heric is not ruling out getting something from the soccer giants.
How about the players he has inherited with only a few games to go?
“I am happy with the squad. These guys are fighters and you know I like fighters.”
Chippa will enjoy a two-week break before travelling to Loftus for the date against Sundowns.
The break is a welcome relief for the Serb as he says it will give him time to make players understand his coaching philosophy.
“I think by the time we go to Sundowns we will be one solid team that understands each other. And the Dispatch can write that ‘Sangoma coach saves Chippa’.”
In disbelief over ‘sangoma yarn’
Heric led Chippa to a crucial 1-0 win over in- form Free State Stars at a packed Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane.
Although Heric had coached numerous teams, including some in the Eastern Cape, he still has memories of a Daily Dispatch report about his dismissal as then OR Tambo Cosmos coach.
He was then fired for refusing to use muti in the team’s preparations for National First Division (NFD) campaign.
The memory has never been erased from the mind of the Serb coach.
“There are very few newspapers I will never forget and one of them is Daily Dispatch. I will never forget when Dispatch ran a story with a headline ‘Sangoma fires the coach’. I cut it out, framed it and took it back home to Serbia.”
Heric says his family back home could not believe the story.
“To them it was incredible but I know in South Africa it is not something out of the realms of possibility.”
After two games at the helm of Chippa, Heric has now won one and lost one against the same team – Free State Stars.
Stars eliminated Chippa in the Nedbank last 16 but Chilli Boys gained sweet revenge with the victory last weekend. This has taken them to 30 points with six games to go.
While the top eight finish is still possible, Heric says his mandate is to save the team from relegation. And his current boss Siviwe Mpengesi is not forcing him to use muti to achieve that goal.
“Luckily for me the chairman does not believe in those things so there is no muti use at Chippa. So if I get fired it will be because I failed not because the sangoma said so,” he said laughing.
Out of the six games left, two will be at home against fellow strugglers Ajax Cape Town and SuperSport United from which he is hoping to augment the points.
“We are looking to collect only five points and then we will be safe. Then we can begin fighting for the top eight finish.”
It will be the away games which will present a challenge for his rescue mission when Chippa play title chasing candidates Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns.
Heric is not ruling out getting something from the soccer giants.
How about the players he has inherited with only a few games to go?
“I am happy with the squad. These guys are fighters and you know I like fighters.”
Chippa will enjoy a two-week break before travelling to Loftus for the date against Sundowns.
The break is a welcome relief for the Serb as he says it will give him time to make players understand his coaching philosophy.
“I think by the time we go to Sundowns we will be one solid team that understands each other. And the Dispatch can write that ‘Sangoma coach saves Chippa’.”
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