Manzini’s keen to hit target again
Chilli Boys striker owes much to Larsen influence
Chippa United striker Rhulani Manzini, who has been instrumental in the team’s recent good run, says he owes much of his success to coach Clinton Larsen.
Manzini, 30, slotted the goal that knocked former African champions Mamelodi Sundowns out of the Nedbank Cup recently.
It was only his second goal for the team this season but maintains he is in high spirits and determined to net more.
“The coach came in and gave me confidence. He is a man of integrity and he believes in our abilities. That has rubbed off on us... to believe in ourselves as well,” said Manzini.
“As a striker you have to score and that is how we are judged. I believe in myself and I believe that with a good performance I can score more goals for the team.
“The confidence level is high in the team since the coach came in. He changed a lot of things, everything from top down.”
Manzini returned to Chippa last season after he left the previous club on a swap deal that saw defender Ayabulela Konqobe join the PE side.
The former Platinum Stars striker, who has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, said he was happy with the fact that he has had a clean bill of health so far this season.
Chippa are faced with yet another must-win fixture as the club fights to lift itself out of the bottom four of the Absa Premiership table.
The Chilli Boys travel to face Free State Stars on Saturday, at Goble Park.
The PE-based professional side have been unbeaten in three matches since the arrival of Larsen, with their most recent result being a 1-1 draw against Baroka in a bottom of the log battle.
Prior to that the team had two successful victories against Maritzburg United (league) and Mamelodi Sundowns (cup).
This while Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt has cautioned against the mistake of using log standings on the premiership table to judge the strength of opponents as he prepares the leaders for their clash against Highlands Park at the Makhulong Stadium on Saturday.
The four-time Absa Premiership-winning coach says results are very unpredictable in the domestic top-flight and he will not allow himself to be lulled into a false sense of security in Wits’ 20th league game of the campaign against the 10thplaced Highlands.
“Another fight‚ another fight‚” said Hunt as he summed up the premiership leaders’ meeting with Highlands on Saturday.
“Highlands Park is a hard team to play against‚ if not the hardest because of the way they play the game.
“There’s just nothing wrong with that because everybody has got a way they want to play.
“We just have to overcome those things – if you want to win you have to overcome those things.
“You have to be better‚ so you have to match the intensity and hopefully we have the ability to take over.”