Chippa United cries out for stability
It appears not a month can go by these days without some kind of drama playing out at dysfunctional Chippa United. Everybody knows owner Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi has a notoriously trigger-happy finger when it comes to the hiring and firing of coaches. At the end of 2015, even Wikipedia gave up on updating the list of coaches to pass through the revolving door at the bogus professional outfit. Wiki called it quits at 12 appointments through only three years from 2012. That number has since doubled in the last three years.
But, just when we all thought it could not get any worse, the madness has become even more regular.
The sacking of Joel Masutha last week, only a month after replacing Eric Tinkler, seems to have been the straw to break the camel’s back as far as soccer lovers are concerned.
There was widespread condemnation across various social and mainstream media platforms of the club owner’s shenanigans.
But he is obviously a thick-skinned character who is oblivious to the noise outside of the bubble he lives in.
Impulsiveness and arrogance have been cited as major problem areas by passionate followers of the game.
Unbelievably, free agent Clinton Larsen became the team’s fifth coach of this season last week. Or so the media believe, as there has been no formal communication from the club announcing his arrival. But that is to be expected when the team has no full-time media liaison.
One would have expected Mpengesi to parade his new coach in front of scribes and television cameras. But nothing. Larsen will be well-advised to keep his bags packed for a while.
On the playing field, Mpengesi’s team are languishing second from bottom on the league table. They are only one point ahead of last-placed Maritzburg, but have also played one more game.
If the KwaZulu-Natal side win, or even draw, their catchup fixture, Chippa would be stone last.
The threat of relegation looms large for Mpengesi’s team, and what the team is crying out for now is stability and cool heads. Sooner, rather than later.