Chippa United interim coach Dan Malesela knows just how important it is for him to beat Bloemfontein Celtic in a Premier League fixture at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium tonight.
Chippa will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 4-3 league defeat against struggling Jomo Cosmos in their last fixture.
This will be Malesela’s official match at the Bay soccer club and it also happens to be the last game of the year before the Christmas break.
“There is pressure to win every game and I cannot shy away from that but to say there is a specific pressure no ... I am under no pressure but I need to start with a win.
“One needs to end the year with a win, so it is a must-win game situation.”
The former United FC coach joined the Chilli Boys early this month after he was axed from Cape Town All Stars for poor results. “Dance”, as he is known in soccer circles, took over as Chippa’s interim coach last week, after Roger Sikhakhane was placed on “special leave” by the Chippa’s management.
It is alleged Sikhakhane smelt of alcohol on the sidelines during the clash against NFD side Mthatha Bucks in the inaugural Nelson Mandela Commemoration Cup.
Malesela said the Chilli Boys have been hard at training preparing for their game against iSiwelele.
“We have been training hard. There is progress with the players. There is a change that I have seen since I came here.
“There is a difference in terms of individual players. I would say we are making a bit of progress within the short space of time,” he said.
He added however that there is big room for improvement and that the squad needs to be bulked up.
“There has been an outcry in the country that our teams are not scoring goals and it is something that we need to work on. It’s not something that we cannot do.
“I try as much as possible to involve scoring with every session that we have because it is the ultimate.
“There is big room for improvement. We need to beef up during the window period but what we have is enough to compete to win. I am looking for a centre-back, right-back, one central midfielder and a winger or two just to beef up the squad.
“If we can get yes we will go for them but if we can’t, we will have to improvise within the team.”
At the start of the season Chippa chairman Siviwe Mpengesi said the mandate of the club this season was to finish in the top eight.
Malesela said if the team stays focused and does what they are suppose to do there is a big chance of finishing even higher on the log. “We are capable of doing that as long as we stay focused and we don’t get distracted with other external factors.”
He said players will be able adapt easily to his style of coaching.
“It’s just a football style. It is not difficult, it doesn’t demand strength it demands brains, that’s all.”
The Chilli Boys are eighth on the log with 13 points from 11 games.
Chippa plan to ‘Dance’ to a different tune
Chippa will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 4-3 league defeat against struggling Jomo Cosmos in their last fixture.
This will be Malesela’s official match at the Bay soccer club and it also happens to be the last game of the year before the Christmas break.
“There is pressure to win every game and I cannot shy away from that but to say there is a specific pressure no ... I am under no pressure but I need to start with a win.
“One needs to end the year with a win, so it is a must-win game situation.”
The former United FC coach joined the Chilli Boys early this month after he was axed from Cape Town All Stars for poor results. “Dance”, as he is known in soccer circles, took over as Chippa’s interim coach last week, after Roger Sikhakhane was placed on “special leave” by the Chippa’s management.
It is alleged Sikhakhane smelt of alcohol on the sidelines during the clash against NFD side Mthatha Bucks in the inaugural Nelson Mandela Commemoration Cup.
Malesela said the Chilli Boys have been hard at training preparing for their game against iSiwelele.
“We have been training hard. There is progress with the players. There is a change that I have seen since I came here.
“There is a difference in terms of individual players. I would say we are making a bit of progress within the short space of time,” he said.
He added however that there is big room for improvement and that the squad needs to be bulked up.
“There has been an outcry in the country that our teams are not scoring goals and it is something that we need to work on. It’s not something that we cannot do.
“I try as much as possible to involve scoring with every session that we have because it is the ultimate.
“There is big room for improvement. We need to beef up during the window period but what we have is enough to compete to win. I am looking for a centre-back, right-back, one central midfielder and a winger or two just to beef up the squad.
“If we can get yes we will go for them but if we can’t, we will have to improvise within the team.”
At the start of the season Chippa chairman Siviwe Mpengesi said the mandate of the club this season was to finish in the top eight.
Malesela said if the team stays focused and does what they are suppose to do there is a big chance of finishing even higher on the log. “We are capable of doing that as long as we stay focused and we don’t get distracted with other external factors.”
He said players will be able adapt easily to his style of coaching.
“It’s just a football style. It is not difficult, it doesn’t demand strength it demands brains, that’s all.”
The Chilli Boys are eighth on the log with 13 points from 11 games.
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