Chippa turn on heat
Chilli Boys on the upward track
Chippa United coach Clinton Larsen believes there has been a telling improvement in the team since he took charge two months ago.
The Port Elizabeth-based professional soccer side extended their unbeaten run to six matches after sharing the spoils with Golden Arrows 1-1 in an Absa Premiership fixture at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Friday.
Chippa’s good run has seen them move away from the basement of the league and also secured them a spot in the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup competition. Larsen said his troops played with self-assurance against Arrows.
“I am very proud of the team. Where we were two months ago and where we are now as a team is a massive improvement,” the coach said.
“Players are playing with more confidence, there’s just one way from here and that’s up. I think they are enjoying their football as well.
“I think Thabo Rakhale is getting back to the Rakhale we know who set the scene alight.
“Kurt Lentjies’s intelligence is second to none. He’s been playing out of his skin and I think they are also supported by the other players like Boikanyo Komane and Tercious Malepe in the middle, who have been very consistent.”
The coach admits playing Arrows was not easy, but that he was proud of his players for sticking it out and at least getting a point from the game.
Larsen said his troops failed to go hard at Arrows during the first half. They also had not closed their spaces as planned.
“Hence, their build-ups were a little bit easy and it was easy to come out into our half.
“The goal we conceded was comical, it was very soft but these things happen in a game.
“But at least we showed the mental strength to come back from that mistake,” he said.
“I think they made a mistake in sitting back after scoring, and allowed us to get into the game. We changed a few things at halftime, we started to put them under pressure a little bit higher on the pitch.
“We used our fullbacks more in terms of going forward and played both fullbacks high. I think it gave us the advantage.
“In the second half the boys were outstanding. It was just a matter of time and even when we got the equaliser, we could have got a winner as well.”
Chippa next play SuperSport United at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane on Sunday March 3.