Chippa United coach Joel Masutha has challenged his players to show commitment in the field ahead of a crucial league clash against Bloemfontein Celtic at Sisa Dukashe stadium in Mdantsane on Friday evening.
Chippa has had a rocky start to their league campaign this season which has seen them end the first leg of the competition rooted second from the bottom of the log table.
The Port Elizabeth-based side has managed to score two wins, six draws and seven defeats from the 15 games played so far. Masutha, who took over from Eric Tinkler, is highly confident that his troops will turn the corner.
He is adamant that a victory will also boost the confidence levels of his players.
“This is a must win game for us and I believe we have a better understanding now, because we have had more days to prepare for the game,” he said.
“I am confident and I believe the boys are confident also.
“The time for talking is over now, we just have to show the action on the pitch and I believe we will show that on Friday.
“Yes, it is not going to be easy but we have to win,” he said.
“So far the preparations have been going very well.
“The guys are fighting for positions which is good and that also bodes well for the club because if they compete for positions that means they will do that in the match. They will go out there and fight and adopt this fighting mentality.
“For now I am very happy with what we have been doing. We are going to play a very awkward side which is Bloemfontein Celtic who have just lost their coach Steve Komphela.
“Every time when a team loses a coach when the new one comes in they try to change things around and you find that the players start buzzing and the vibe also changes. However, having said that we are in desperate need of points.
“We just have to get those points and we have to do what ever it takes to get them.”
The domestic Premier Soccer League January 2019 transfer window opened on Wednesday morning and will close on January 31 at midnight.
Asked if he had an eye on a specific player to join the Chilli boys camp, Masutha said: “Truly speaking, if there is a player who is better than what we have, available in certain positions we would have to look into that.
“But, Chippa has a very good squad filled with quality players, so we are not focused on that.”
However, the coach has identified the striking position and centre back as areas that need improvement...