Chippa map out strategic battle plan for league

CHIPPA United coach Dan “Dance” Malesela says his players need some more polishing ahead of their Premier Soccer League fixture against Baroka at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on February 7.

The Chilli Boys have returned to Port Elizabeth this week after a weeks’ long midseason camp in Cape Town.

Chippa only have a week left before the start of the PSL second leg and Malesela still has concerns over the readiness of his players.

However, he said the team would use the remaining week or so to remedy issues that needed to be worked on before they play the Polokwane side.

“We still have a lot of things to fix but I think by the time we start the matches we will be ready. But I can’t say the team is ready now,” said Malesela.

Asked what the things are that need to be fine-tuned within the team he said: “The defending is what we need to fix . . . we need to make it very solid. The goalscoring part and the attacking movement.

“We want to have a more offensive-minded team, because we deal with these teams that defend all the time. We need to be able to break even the tightest of defences. “That is what we need to do,” he said. Chippa will go into the second stanza of the season without the services of key players Thembinkosi Lorch, James Okwuosa and Marc van Heerden who have gone to Soweto giants Orlando Pirates.

Chilli Boys boss Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi confirmed that Lorch, who was on loan at Chippa, had been recalled by Pirates.

Meanwhile, defenders Okwuosa and Van Heerden are part of a swap deal which will see the return of Nkosinathi Mthiyane and the addition of new signings Justic Chabalala, Donald Mokondeka and Sello Japtha.

The Chilli Boys are 11th on the log with 16 points from 14 matches.