Chippa hunt maximum points
Busy schedule challenge for team, but new coach building up confidence
HIS troops would be fighting to get maximum points from their Premier Soccer League fixture against SuperSport United tonight at the Lucas Moripe Stadium (kickoff 7.30pm) in Pretoria, Chippa United caretaker coach Teboho Moloi said.
The Port Elizabeth side have had a busy schedule since returning from their two-week international break. Tonight’s game will be their third match in seven days.
Chippa were able to get a point from their previous league fixture in a boring goalless draw against Platinum Stars at the weekend.
“We are playing away and a point away will be a good enough result. But not all the games are away. Some, we need to go for the three points.
“Three points tonight will be a bonus for us, but we are gunning for maximum points,” he said.
Moloi was announced last week as the club’s new caretaker coach after the sacking of Dan Malesela.
He said getting the players’ confidence levels back up from their disappointing 3-1 loss to Baroka was his main priority right now.
“It’s going to be a difficult game playing against SuperSport, who have been playing a good brand of football so far.
“They are also playing in the Africa Cup, so they are coming with a lot of experience and confidence.
“The games are coming quick now, we are playing our third game in seven days. We need to work on confidence and self belief.
“If you look at the Platinum Stars game, our passing was not up to scratch and the normal type of football that we play was not there.
“So, it can be that the guys were panicking or not confident because they were coming from the big loss.
“You must understand that when Chippa loses, it’s either 1-0 or 2-1 so the 3-1 might have been a shock.
“The guys were not themselves, they were more worried about the result than going out there and playing well.
“They now understand that before each and every game you have a point in your hand, why throw that point away? You should fight for the other two points you don’t have.”
Chippa will play without midfield general Mark Mayambela, due to injury. Moloi said that was the only change he would be making from the starting 11 which played Dikwena at the weekend.
Coach Eric Tinkler has managed to retain SuperSport’s solid‚ if unspectacular‚ form this season‚ with their seven matches in all competitions providing four wins‚ two draws and a single defeat – which includes a run to next month’s MTN8 final against Cape Town City.
And as much as Tinkler will be focused on three points in this clash‚ he will also have an eye on a difficult away day on Saturday when Matsatantsa travel to Zambian champions Zesco United for the second leg of their African Confederation Cup quarterfinal in Ndola.
“That’s why we always talk about having depth in your squad. But you have also got to remember we can’t be making seven or eight changes‚” Tinkler said.
“I doubt there is a team in the world that does it. If you watch the Real Madrids and Barcelonas of this world‚ players play Wednesday‚ Saturday and Wednesday.
“What becomes important is how we rest the players in between and how we assess them.
“We need to make certain changes to certain players we believe need that rest‚ hence the fact that I have rested Morgan [Gould] and Yeye [Letsholonyane] in the past.
“That’s the approach we will make going into the Chippa game.” – Additional report by Nick Said
Three points tonight will be a bonus for us, but we are gunning for maximum points