'I won’t disappoint', says Chippa United coach Clinton Larsen

Coach Clinton Larsen promised not to disappoint Chippa United fans after he was awarded a two-year contract by club chairman Siviwe Mpengesi on Thursday.

The former Bloemfontein Celtic coach joined the Port Elizabeth professional soccer side in January on a six-months contract, taking over from Joel Masutha. He was the fifth coach for that season.

“This is a special club with good players and passionate supporters who love the team,” Larsen said.

“It feels good to be part of the team and to take it into the future. I thank the chairman for expressing confidence in me. I won’t disappoint”.

The expected extension of Larsen contact comes after he saved the Chilli Boys from relegation last season.

After beating Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 in the final league fixture of the most recent season, the coach expressed his intention to stay with the club.

However, he did say him staying would require certain conditions to be met. It appears as if both Larsen and Mpengesi have ironed out the concerns the coach had expressed regarding the club becoming more professionally and to stop the sale of key players.

Mpengesi congratulated Larsen and hailed him as great mentor and tactician. He said the extension of coach’s contract was important for continuity and the stability of the club.

“We want Clinton to consolidate on the progress we recorded towards the end of the last season and also ensure that we never find ourselves in the relegation zone again. “His new mandate is to ensure that the boys finish among the Top 8 in the upcoming season. Clinton is a valued member of the Chippa United family and he has a good team to manage,” Mpengesi said.

The Chilli Boys will return to the grindstone on June 23 in preparation for the new season.