Chippa United skipper James Okwuosa has responded to coach Dan “Dance” Malesela’s threat to leave the club saying the players are doing their best.
“I think each and every player is doing his best to see that he performs his best for the club. The players are also doing their best to help the coach,” said Okwuosa.
This comes after the Chippa coach spoke about his disappointment with his players’ performance during their 3-2 loss to National First Division side Baroka FC in the Nedbank Cup on Sunday at East London’s Buffalo City Stadium.
Malesela even went as far as threatening to leave the club if the players do not want to take his instructions.
Chippa communications officer Luthando Zibeko also backed the team’s captain and said the players and the entire management team had the coach’s back.
Zibeko said Malesela is a perfectionist and someone who expects highly of himself and his players.
“Obviously Sunday’s results did not go our way. We were all very disappointed with the performance and the results.
“Because we feel that the Nedbank Cup is an opportunity for the coach to continue with his work developing the squad and the good vibe in the squad,” he said.
“The focus for us now is on the next game which is a very important game against Maritzburg United.
“We still have a chance to qualify for the top eight so we have to give our all, rectify the mistakes of our last game and move forward.
“We have seen the team developing since he took over. We are making steady progress. There will always be hiccups on the journey taken, but we are positive.”
Malesela said he was sure of what needed to take place.
“I don’t know if I am angry or what but there are two things that must happen,” said Malesela.
“Players must take instructions – and use them on the field.
“It’s useless for us to be at training the whole week and not execute what we are suppose to execute here.
“The way we defend you cannot be as pathetic as we were today.
“You start questioning a lot of things.
“Whether it’s a thing of loyalty or it’s a thing that happens only on a particular day is another story.
“If they do not want to be coached by me, fine. Let them find somebody who will coach them.
“And if nothing happens from these players, I’ll probably be gone tomorrow. Not from the club, not from the owner, not from the chairman but from myself.
Malesela said he was not prepared “to embarrass myself and take my reputation and dignity and lower it as far as I have today.
“It’s not good. I will not do that. This is not a reflection of what we do and what we train.
“It is the opposite.”
“I do not want to rubbish my own players but really you have to look at yourself and say, ‘am I really honest with myself. Am I this player that I think I am’.”
Malesela said that as a player you cannot just play football without any ambitions or any dreams of winning something.
He said the Nedbank Cup is the only trophy he could safely say they Chippa have a chance to win.
Chilli Boys ‘are all for doing club proud’
“I think each and every player is doing his best to see that he performs his best for the club. The players are also doing their best to help the coach,” said Okwuosa.
This comes after the Chippa coach spoke about his disappointment with his players’ performance during their 3-2 loss to National First Division side Baroka FC in the Nedbank Cup on Sunday at East London’s Buffalo City Stadium.
Malesela even went as far as threatening to leave the club if the players do not want to take his instructions.
Chippa communications officer Luthando Zibeko also backed the team’s captain and said the players and the entire management team had the coach’s back.
Zibeko said Malesela is a perfectionist and someone who expects highly of himself and his players.
“Obviously Sunday’s results did not go our way. We were all very disappointed with the performance and the results.
“Because we feel that the Nedbank Cup is an opportunity for the coach to continue with his work developing the squad and the good vibe in the squad,” he said.
“The focus for us now is on the next game which is a very important game against Maritzburg United.
“We still have a chance to qualify for the top eight so we have to give our all, rectify the mistakes of our last game and move forward.
“We have seen the team developing since he took over. We are making steady progress. There will always be hiccups on the journey taken, but we are positive.”
Malesela said he was sure of what needed to take place.
“I don’t know if I am angry or what but there are two things that must happen,” said Malesela.
“Players must take instructions – and use them on the field.
“It’s useless for us to be at training the whole week and not execute what we are suppose to execute here.
“The way we defend you cannot be as pathetic as we were today.
“You start questioning a lot of things.
“Whether it’s a thing of loyalty or it’s a thing that happens only on a particular day is another story.
“If they do not want to be coached by me, fine. Let them find somebody who will coach them.
“And if nothing happens from these players, I’ll probably be gone tomorrow. Not from the club, not from the owner, not from the chairman but from myself.
Malesela said he was not prepared “to embarrass myself and take my reputation and dignity and lower it as far as I have today.
“It’s not good. I will not do that. This is not a reflection of what we do and what we train.
“It is the opposite.”
“I do not want to rubbish my own players but really you have to look at yourself and say, ‘am I really honest with myself. Am I this player that I think I am’.”
Malesela said that as a player you cannot just play football without any ambitions or any dreams of winning something.
He said the Nedbank Cup is the only trophy he could safely say they Chippa have a chance to win.
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